Stephen Gill (*1971, Bristol, Great Britain) likes to test the limits that photography imposes on him. As a conceptual artist – and also a bit of a sociologist and poet – he experiments with various unusual techniques in his documentation of the district of Hackney in East London. Among his working methods were burying photos (Buried), creating lavish collages with flowers and seeds (Hackney Flowers) and placing objects in the camera so that they left their traces on the film, causing confusion about the scale of the images (Talking to Ants). His aim was to encourage the spirit of the place to become trapped in the emulsion like amber creating a series of surreal interventions in the photographs. He physically inserting bits and pieces of detritus inside the camera body before photographing his local surroundings. Streets, housing estates, markets and canals provide the backdrop for images embedded with various forms of plant life, insects, plastic and even tiny fragments of broken glass from a car headlight. Objects thus appear simultaneously both behind and in front of the camera lens, creating curious juxtapositions between surface and reality. As a result, flatness counters depth to disorientate our perception of different pictorial planes. What we get is a multi-layered and heightened sense of place, form and texture that works to harness not just what the area looks like but also how it feels.
Gill’s photographs are now held in various private and public collections and was exhibited in different international Galleries and Museums such as the London National Portrait Gallery, the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Agnès B Collection, the Victoria Miro Gallery, the Sprengel Museum, the Tate Modern, the Centre National de l’Audiovisuel, the Archive of Modern Conflict, the Photographers’ Gallery, the Palais des Beaux Arts, the Leighton House Museum and the Haus der Kunst. Gill had numerous solo exhibitions at festivals such as the Recontres d’Arles, the Toronto Photography Festival and the PhotoEspaña. In Summer 2013 the Foam Amsterdam dedicated Gill a big retrospective „Best Before End“.
Solo exhibitions
2022
"Stephen Gill, Unfold" Shiogama City Art Museum, Japan
2021
"Stephen Gill, Coming up for Air: A Retrospective" Arnolfini, Bristol, UK
2019
"Three Nature Studies: Stephen Gill" IMA Gallery, Tokyo, Japan
2018
"Stephen Gill. Vom Dokument zum Experiment Fotografien, Projektionen, Bücher, Objekte" Museum für Photographie Braunschweig, Germany
"Stephen Gill from document to experiment" Museum of Photography Braunschweig, Germany
"Nobody’s library; Stephen Gill’s Photobooks & Young PhotoBook" Halle 267 Braunschweig, Germany
"Stephen Gill Night Procession" Jojuin, Kiyomizu Temple, Kyoto, Japan
2017
"Stephen Gill" La Filature, Mulhouse, France
2016
„Fatigue Laboratory“ Christophe Guye Galerie, Zurich, Switzerland
„myeyefellout“ The Photographers' Gallery, London, Great Britain
2015
„Talking to Ants“ Dillon Gallery, New York, United States
„London Chronicles“ Pôle Image, Centre photographique, Rouen, France
„Buried flowers coexist with disappointed ants" Christophe Guye Galerie, Zurich, Switzerland
2014
„Best Before End“ GP Gallery, Tokyo, Japan
„Series Photographs“ Galeri Image, Aarhus, Denmark
2013
„Talking to Ants“ Shoot Gallery, Oslo, Norway
2012
„Best Before End“ Foam Museum, Amsterdam, Netherlands
„Coexistence“ Centre National de l’audiovisuel, Luxembourg
2011
„Outside In“ GP Gallery, Tokio, Japan
2010
„Outside In“ Gungallery, Stockholm, Sweden
2009
„Coming up for Air“ GP Gallery, Tokio, Japan
„Hackney Flowers“ Gaain Gallery, Seoul, South Korea
2008
„Hackney Flowers“ G/P Gallery, Tokio, Japan
2007
„A Series of Disappointments“ Gungallery, Stockholm, Sweden
2006
„Anonymous Origami and Buried“ Leighton House Museum, London, Great Britain
„Hackney Flowers“ The Photographers' Gallery, London, Great Britain
2005
„2005 Toronto Photography Festival“ Toronto, Canada
„Invisible and Lost“ Photo España, Real Jardín Botánico, Madrid, Spain
2004
„Stephen Gill Photographs“ The Architectural Association, London, Great Britain
„Field Studies“ The State Centre of Architecture, Moskau, Russia
2003
„2003 Recontres d’Arles Photography festival“ Arles, France
„Hackney Wick“ The Photographers' Gallery, London, Great Britain
Selected group exhibitions
2020
Abstractions, Christophe Guye Galerie, Zurich, Switzerland
2016
„Hackney Flowers“ Goa Photography Festival, Panjim, Goa
„Festival de l'image possible“ Liège, Belgien
„Water“ Pondy Photo, Pondicherry, Indien
„The State I am in“ Internationale Photoszene Köln, Cologne, Germany
2015
„Beneath the Surface“ Victora and Albert Museum, Somerset House, London, Great Britain
„Earth Effect“ Fotografia Europea, Reggio Emilia, Italy
„Beastly/Tierisch“ Fotomuseum Winterthur, Winterthur, Switzerland
„The return to reason“ Wendi Norris Gallery, San Francisco, United States
2014
„Urban Spirit“ Christophe Guye Galerie, Zürich, Switzerland
„Bieler Fototage 2014“ Biel, Switzerland
2013
„Thresholds“ Belfast Exposed, Belfast, Great Britain
2012
„Residual Traces“ Photofusion
„Juxtaposition“ See Studio, Hackney Wick, London, Great Britain
„Retrospex“ Elevator Gallery, Hackney Wick, London, Great Britain
„Et Cetera“ Hoxton Art Gallery, London, Great Britain
„No Exit – Off Ground – Helsinki Photography Biennial“ Helsinki, Finland
2011
„Photography Calling! Photography and the Present“ Sprengen Museum, Hannover, Germany
2010
„Inaugural Exhibition“ Christophe Guye Galerie, Zürich, Switzerland
„The Year in Pictures“ (from the blog pictureyear.blogspot.com)
„Something That I’ll Never Really See“ Bhau Daji Lad, Mumbai, India
„Outsiden In / Strange and Familier“ Brighton Museum and Art Gallery, Brighton, Great Britain
„An Accrochage“ Galerie Zur Stockeregg, Zürich, Switzerland
„London Calling“ James Hyman Gallery 25, London, Great Britain
„Danziger Projects“ New York, United States
„The New Old“ Invisible-Exports, New York, United States
2009
„Book a Table“ Rocket Gallery, London, Great Britain
The Museum of Hackney Wick, Hackney, London, Great Britain
„Sound Escapes“ Space, Hackney London, Great Britain
„I am by birth a Genovese; and my family is one of the most distinguished of that republic Forde“ Espace d'art contemporain, Genf, Switzerland
„I am by birth a Genovese“ Vegas Gallery, London, Great Britain
„After Color“ Bose Pacia, New York, Great Britain
„That Rose-Red Empire“ Danielle Arnaud Gallery, Hackney, London, Great Britain
„Pioneering Colour Photography meets Contemporary“ Galerie zur Stockeregg, Zürich, Switzerland
2008
„Borderspaces“ Schwartz Gallery, Hackney, London, Great Britain
„What You See Is What You Get“ CNA, Luxemburg
„Anonymous Origami and Disappointments“ St. Ann’s Warehouse, New York, United States, Haus Der Kunst, München, Germany
„European Eyes on Japan“ Kagoshima Museum of Art, Kagoshima, Japan
2007
„Terrains D’Entente, Paysages Contemporains“ Rencontres d’Arles, Arles, France
„Says the Junk in the Yard“ Flowers Galleries, London, Great Britain
Photography and Cinema“ Tri Postal, Lille, France
„Something That I’ll Never Really See“ The V &A, London, Great Britain
„State of Work“ Fotohof Gallery, Salzburg, Austria
2006
Courtauld Institute of Art - Somerset House, London, Great Britain
„Click, Double Click“ Palais des Beaux Arts, Bruxelles, Belgium
Haus Der Kunst, München, Germany
2005
„Traces & Omens“ Noorderlicht Photo Festival 2005, Groningen, Netherlands
„Photography 2005“ Victoria Miro Gallery, London, Great Britain
„Marks of Honour“ Foam Fotografiemuseum, Amsterdam, Netherlands
2003
„Photo London: Capital of Culture Through the Lens of Twelve Photographers“ The Photographers' Gallery, London, Great Britain
1997
„Airport“ The Photographers' Gallery, London, Great Britain
Awards
2020
The Pillar / Årets Bedste Bogarbejde / Best Book work / Denmark
The Pillar / National Book Art award / Sweden
The Pillar / Shortlist / Photo Espania
The Pillar / Shortlist / Svenska Fotobokpriset
2019
The Pilar / Les Rencontres d’Arles author book award
2018
Night Procession / Shortlist / Svenska Fotobokpriset
2017
Night Procession / 2017 Hariban Award / Benrido Japan
2011
PHotoEspaña Photography Boook Award 2011 has awarded Nobody “Outstanding Publishing House of the Year”
2009
A Series of Disappointments, Photo Eye, Best books
2008
Hackney Flowers, Shorlisted in Arles Book Award
Hackney Flowers, Photobook award, Kasseler fotoforum
Anonymous Origami, runner up in Specific Object Award
Anonymous Origami, shortlisted Photo Espania Book award
Hackney Flowers, Photography Book of the year, The Times
2007
Buried, Shorlisted in Arles Book Award
Hackney Wick – Winner of Photo Eye best books
Buried, Photo District News Award, Best Books
2006
Winner of Vic Odden Award
Hackney Wick, Shorlisted in Arles Book Award
Invisible, Photo District News Award, Best Books
2005
Invisible, Shorlisted in Arles Book Award
2004
Field Studies, Photo District News Award, Best Books
Winner of John Kobal Book Award for “A book of Field Studies”
2003
Field Studies, Shorlisted in Arles Book Award
2002
John Kobal 10th Anniversary, National Portrait Gallery
2001
John Kobal Portrait Award
1997
World Press Master Class, The Netherlands
1996
John Kobal Portrait Award
Ernst Haas Golden Light Award, USA
1986
Kodak Pet Portrait Award
Collections
The Museum of London
National Portrait Gallery, London
Tate
The Victoria and Albert Museum
The Photographers’ Gallery
Martin Parr Collection
Palais des Beaux Arts
Leighton House Museum
Haus der Kunst
Sprengel Museum
