An incredible end to an incredible tour. All my admiration to @moveablefeastny , all at @welshnationaltheatre and Michael Sheen for putting this wild ride and experience together with 'Playing Burton'. Back to where it all started in Pontrhydyfen, Burton's birthplace; and a chance for me to take an image I've had in mind for months. Matthew and Michael in homage to Richard and Dic Bach #contemporaryphotography #documentaryphotography #artphotography #welshart #industrial #postindustrial #gupmagazine #lensculture #paperjournalmag #streetphotography #photography
Today is the International Day of Older Persons, and very recently I had the absolute honour of photographing Dame Sian Phillips for my ongoing work with
@agecymru . An absolute highlight for me; she is just the best company, even getting in lemon drizzle cake for me!
At 92 her energy and charisma was amazing- full of stories of Burton and Taylor, 'Kath' Hepburn and my favourite, Robert Shaw. Just the best afternoon ever!
#contemporaryphotography #documentaryphotography #artphotography #welshart #industrial #postindustrial #gupmagazine #lensculture #paperjournalmag #streetphotography #photography
Can't believe I'm typing this, but my Chapel image will be showing alongside a Canaletto in the National Treasures: Canaletto in Aberystwyth, Delfryd a Diwydiant - Idyll and Industry exhibition in the @librarywales as part of the @nationalgallery 200th anniversary celebrations! The exhibition, which includes The Stonemason's Yard from c.1725, has an incredible roster of Welsh artists from Richard Wilson and Thomas Jones onwards.
To be included in this show is the biggest honour of my career.
The Canaletto has resided in Wales before- in WW2 it was protected in the Manod quarry of Blaenau Ffestiniog
#NG200 #NationalTreasures #mpfmembersphotos #contemporaryphotography #documentaryphotography #artphotography #welshart #industrial#postindustrial #gupmagazine #lensculture #paperjournalmag #streetphotography #photography #Wales #britishart #britishphotograph #jonpountney
Approaching 50 years on Planet Earth, I've been thinking about what to do with my work. Maybe it's time for something ambitious? Covering Wales in a structured way? This year I've been here 30 years, and maybe I'll be able to work in this way for another 20 years. Another 20 summers doesn't sound much, does it? But I can't think of anywhere I'd rather be. So here we go- Cymru as it was while I was here. #cymru #wales #wales❤️ #art #artist
Some thoughts on my ai post.
I like to use instagram as a sketchbook, and it’s almost uniformly been a positive experience to share stuff with my audience. Of my 4,827 posts in ten years, one had two images made with ai. It's something I’m interested in looking at for that one project; I personally feel no threat from ai as an artist who spends most of my time in the landscape making autobiographical work.
So I got the machine to make two 1000px images of a dystopian future, and put them on my profile, expecting some pushback.
I don’t agree with generative ai; I know how it works; and I know it’s a danger.
As a 48 year old I was interested to see how it could create images and if they have any worth- as ephemeral things like all photographs. And as a 48 year old I don’t need men, uniformly, telling me what I can and can’t do with my own practice.
I’ve been a professional artist for 26 years, and if I want to try something, I will.
Opinions are fine, and everyone has one, but don’t ever try and tell me what to do with my work.
If you don’t like it, unfollow; I’m not bothered, and I’d prefer positive comments from people who support my work. The work is all there to view for free- if you don’t like it, move along.
I certainly owe absolutely nothing to ‘photography’.
#ontheeasel #art #artist #artistic #contemporaryart #draw #daily #drawing #oilpainting #picoftheday #charcoaldrawing #charcoal #charcoalart #britishart #welshart #watercolour #watercolourart #photobook #contemporaryphotography #documentaryphotography #artphotography #welshart #industrial #postindustrial #gupmagazine #lensculture #paperjournalmag #streetphotography #photography
Yara, Sahr, Amirah and Rosetta
So pleased to take the working class community of Grangetown, Cardiff into the second round of this year's Taylor Wessing Prize in the @nationalportraitgallery . No guarantee of getting into the exhibition, but it's fantastic to get this far, and its an excuse for a day out in London- I've got to take a print along to be judged!
Thanks to @rhi_annon_white for the commission
#ontheeasel #art #artist #artistic #contemporaryart #draw #daily #drawing #oilpainting #picoftheday #charcoaldrawing #charcoal #charcoalart #britishart #welshart #watercolour #watercolourart #photobook #contemporaryphotography #documentaryphotography #artphotography #welshart #industrial #postindustrial #gupmagazine #lensculture #paperjournalmag #streetphotography #photography
The total sum of my experiments with ai so far.
Whilst I'm totally against generative ai as a thing, it suddenly occurred to me recently that it fits with a project I've had in mind for a while, about the dangers of ai, technology, and climate collapse. Could it be used to describe a world it might ultimately create?
As a companion to my 'Allure of Ruins' project, this work describes a Wales in 'Future Ruins'; a post apocalyptic vision of our home as a desolate wasteland.
Not sure where this will lead, or if anything will come of it; but I wanted to see what the machines were capable of.
I met a traveller from an antique land
Who said: Two vast and trunkless legs of stone
Stand in the desart. Near them, on the sand,
Half sunk, a shattered visage lies, whose frown,
And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command,
Tell that its sculptor well those passions read
Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things,
The hand that mocked them and the heart that fed:
And on the pedestal these words appear:
"My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings:
Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!"
Nothing beside remains. Round the decay
Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare
The lone and level sands stretch far away.
— Percy Shelley, "Ozymandias", 1819 edition
#ontheeasel #art #artist #artistic #contemporaryart #draw #daily #drawing #oilpainting #picoftheday #charcoaldrawing #charcoal #charcoalart #britishart #welshart #watercolour #watercolourart #photobook #contemporaryphotography #documentaryphotography #artphotography #welshart #industrial #postindustrial #gupmagazine #lensculture #paperjournalmag #streetphotography #photography
Was asked for a head shot, so I came up with this. A double exposure with flowers from Eglwysilan. As it was saving, I cancelled it, and it saved with these digital shapes- very pleasing, a bit @neworderofficial /Peter Saville #ontheeasel #art #artist #artistic #contemporaryart #draw #daily #drawing #oilpainting #picoftheday #charcoaldrawing #charcoal #charcoalart #britishart #welshart #watercolour #watercolourart #photobook #contemporaryphotography #documentaryphotography #artphotography #welshart #industrial #postindustrial #gupmagazine #lensculture #paperjournalmag #streetphotography #photography
