I am an artist and educator based in the West Midlands, UK. My photographic practice considers the role of photography in the representation of place, the home and the ‘local’ developed through long term photographic works, the use of alternative processes, and publishing. I have a sustained research interest in bookmaking, specifically artist books and photobooks – materiality, craft and process are important elements of my practice which embraces the ‘hand-mind’ connection* in making books, as well as their potential to generate collaboration and social engagement.
I am currently a lecturer on the BA and MA Photography programmes at Coventry University and a PhD researcher with bookRoom and UCA Farnham. My photographic work has been exhibited nationally and internationally in group shows and photo festivals. I have contributed to public events, symposia and conferences on themes exploring different areas of my research, from visualising the home, community and place to the role of independent publishing and the photobook as a social and collaborative practice. I have recently established my own book press, Silvergrass Press, and launched the first book ‘Where are you a local?’.
* a term I have borrowed from The Craftsman by Richard Sennett.
Selected Exhibitions, Publications and Projects
Power of Place – Peer to Peer : UK/HK 2022 – Selected Artist
Where are you a local? in WORDplay – a part of Fringe Arts Bath, Bath (2022)
Where are you a local? Self-published under my imprint Silvergrass Press (2022)
Salon/19, Photofusion, London (2019)
Salon/18, Photofusion, London (2018)
Home, Slate Art Gallery in collaboration with TEDx Leamington Spa (2017)
Visualising the Home, Carlisle Photo Festival (2017)
Local, 4/8/16/32, Coventry (2017)
The Open Project, MAC, Birmingham (2013)
Unwrapped, Custard Factory, Birmingham (2006)
From Coventry with love, Goethe Institute, Dresden, Germany (2005)
Clash, various locations, Birmingham (2004)
The Young Baron, a short film directed by Matt Price, supported by Arts Council England and Fused Magazine (2003)
The St Dunstan’s Experiment, St Dunstan’s Social Club, Birmingham (2003)
Papers and Talks
Where are you a local? Talk and launch of photobook at Bristol Artists book Event, Bristol (2022)
The photobook: a social object. Presented at Research as Practice: Interdisciplinary study day, UCA Farnham (2022)
The Internet, Ink and Iterative Pedagogy. Matt Johnston and Emma Lambert, presented at 2019 APHE conference (2019)
Around Here. Small Stories – Presented at A Sense of Place, Test Beds conference, University of Bedfordshire (2017)
Around Here: Photographing the Local. Presented at Visualising the Home Conference, University of Cumbria (2017)
The Whisky Men. Photocafe, Birmingham (2016)
A Walk in the Rain. Presented at the Work in Progress Talks series, Coventry University. (2015)
