Henry Iddon photographer profile

a. I guess the main thing with major projects is the background research to help inform an idea. So for ‘Hill People’, portraits of those using the Lake District fells for recreation, I read a lot of academic papers about dress and identity, ‘A Place to Go’ about poignant mountain landscapes I read various PhD papers about memorial sites, as well as Simon Schama’s 900 page ‘Landscape and Memory’, during my Leftcoast residency at Forton services I read the two books about the history of British motorway services. It’s a way of really understanding an area that I’m looking at, and that knowledge can then be used to help generate ideas or inform the work. More general work is just about getting close to a subject and getting as much as possible from any situation, thinking you can get a shot later or tomorrow is a risky thing. It’s important to not let opportunities slip past.

a. Obviously as primarily a photographer I need some type of camera. Following on from the previous question, I’d say I need the ability to research, and maybe as a spin off from that the time to mull things over.

a. To an extent yes – certainly for performance art / events – with an audience of visitors.  There are some amazing spaces and arts community. Things have improved hugely over the last 25 years, the Grundy has changed for the better over the past 20 odd years, and things like the sculptures and The Comedy Carpet put art in public spaces. It’s always difficult to get people into traditional spaces, no doubt Leftcoast has reached out to new audiences and helped local artists. It’s easy to be critical, but without Leftcoast I do think the local arts scene would be far worse off.

About Henry

Henry Iddon has spent most of his life living in Blackpool, apart from brief stints as a photo lab technician at Warrens Photo Lab in Leeds, and at the Motor Industry Research Association near Nuneaton. He studied Photographic Laboratory Management at Blackpool and Fylde College and an MA Photography at De Montford University, Leicester.

His photographic and lens based practice concerns finding new ways, and reasons, to look at the landscape. While remaining accessible to all, and relevant to the discourse that is contemporary art and culture. He aims to produce work that is multi-layered and that can educate and inform audiences. 

His work has been mediated through traditional film techniques across all formats 10x12inch and 4×5 large format; medium format roll film and 35mm; digital stills and film / video moving image capture. Work has been disseminated via wall hung exhibitions, installations and workshops, book works, news print publications, online and through film screenings.

His self motivated work has been shown in exhibitions at such galleries as  Centoequatro,  Belo Horizonte, Brazil; Forum Brixen, Brixen/Bressanone (Italy); Grundy Art Gallery, Blackpool;  The Photographers Gallery, London; Turner Contemporary, Margate;  Stills Gallery, Edinburgh; Oxo Tower, London; Three White Walls Gallery, Birmingham and Turton Tower, Bolton.