Ian Beesley (born 1954) is a British social documentary photographer who has focused on Northern England, particularly Bradford, since the late 1970s.[1][2][3] He was course leader for the MA in photography at the University of Bolton.[4] Beesley's work is held in the collections of the Science Museum Group and Smithsonian Institution.[1][5] In 2012, he was awarded an Honorary Fellowship of the Royal Photographic Society.[6]
Life and work
editBeesley was born in Eccleshill, Bradford.[7] He studied at Bradford Art College and Bournemouth & Poole College of Art.[8]
Since the late 1970s, he has documented the changing social landscape of Northern England, particularly in Bradford.[2][3][9] He photographed Salts Mill in Saltaire as it was closing down in 1986.[10] He spent five years working on the series The Art of Clubbing, about nightclub culture in the UK.[11]
He was course leader for the MA in photography at the University of Bolton in Greater Manchester.[4]
Publications
editBooks
edit- Where Sky & Water Meet. Arts Council, 1982.
- Through the Mill. NMPFTV, 1987.
- Victorian Bradford. Ryburn, 1987.
- Now I can tell. McMillan, 1990.
- Warwickshire Hatters. Ryburn, 1988.
- Calderdale. Ryburn, 1988.
- Victorian Manchester & Salford. Ryburn, 1988.
- Leeds Architectural Heritage. Ryburn, 1993.
- A Place of Work. The Keeled University press, 1995.
- Claret & Amber. Darkroom/NMPFTV, 2000.
- Building Sights. Leeds City Council, 2001.
- The Power, the Pride, the Passion. Darkroom, 2001.
- Orphans of the Fallout. Darkroom, 2001.
- Heavy Metal. Darkroom, 2002.
- The End of the Shed. Darkroom, 2001.
- Meltdown Heads. together productions, 2004.
- Shining Out. Darkroom, 2006.
- The Leap. Darkroom, 2010.
- The Drift. NCME, 2011.
- T'Ales. Carlsberg/DRP, 2011.
- Born in Bradford. Incline, 2012.
- Darkroom, 2014. With Ian McMillan. ISBN 978-0-9569049-3-5.
- The Book of damp. Darkroom, 2014. Photographs by Beesley, poems by Ian McMillan. ISBN 978-0-9569049-1-1.
- A box full of cuckoos. Darkroom, 2014.
- Magic Lantern Tales. Darkroom, 2014.
- Taraxacum Officinale. Darkroom, 2014.
- Grafters: Industrial Society in Image and Word. Unified Theory of Everything, 2016. Curated by Beesley, poems by Ian McMillan. ISBN 978-0957134270.
- Life. London: Bluecoat, 2023. A retrospective.
Zines
edit- Esholt Sewage works Bradford 1977–78. Southport: Café Royal, 2016.
- Through the Mill. Southport: Café Royal, 2016.
- The Drift. Southport: Café Royal, 2016.
- Tetleys Brewery Leeds. Southport: Café Royal, 2017.
Solo exhibitions
edit- A touring exhibition across Finland, organised by the National Museum of Labour History, 2003[12]
- Life, Salts Mill, Saltaire, Bradford, 2022. A retrospective.[2][13]
Collections
edit- Science Museum Group, London: 131 prints (as of 17 March 2023)[1]
- Smithsonian Institution, Washington, USA: 5 prints (as of 17 March 2023)[5]
Awards
edit- 2012: Honorary Fellowship of the Royal Photographic Society, Bath[6]
References
edit- ^ a b c "Ian Beesley - Science Museum Group Collection". Science Museum Group. Retrieved 2023-03-17.
- ^ a b c "Four decades of photographs of Yorkshire grit by Ian Beesley go on display for the first time". 17 September 2022.
- ^ a b Warner, Marigold. "Ian Beesley's 45-year documentation of working life in Bradford - 1854 Photography". British Journal of Photography. Retrieved 2023-03-18.
- ^ a b "Industrious Ian scoops two awards". Oldham Evening Chronicle. Retrieved 2023-03-17.
- ^ a b "Ian Beesley - Smithsonian American Art Museum". americanart.si.edu. Retrieved 2023-03-17.
- ^ a b "Fellowship honour for city artist". Bradford Telegraph and Argus. Retrieved 2023-03-17.
- ^ "From Premier League City to old mills - Beesley's camera captures it all". Bradford Telegraph and Argus. Retrieved 2023-03-17.
- ^ Phillips, Sarah (16 January 2013). "Ian Beesley's best photograph: a sewage foreman captured in tears". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2023-03-17.
- ^ "Life, Bradford style: the work of Ian Beesley – in pictures". The Guardian. 19 August 2022. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2023-03-17.
- ^ "New exhibition captures Salts Mill 30 years on". BBC News. 8 September 2017. Retrieved 2023-03-17.
- ^ "BBC - Bradford and West Yorkshire - Going Out -". BBC. Retrieved 2023-03-17.
- ^ "Mill photos under spotlight in Finland". Bradford Telegraph and Argus. Retrieved 2023-03-17.
- ^ Fairclough, Steve (28 July 2022). "First career retrospective of Ian Beesley to open in Saltaire". Amateur Photographer. Retrieved 2023-03-17.