Simon Roberts

About

Simon Roberts (b.1974) is a British photographic artist based in Brighton, UK. Often employing expansive landscape photographs, his approach is one of creating wide-ranging surveys of our time, which communicate on important social, economic and political issues.

Roberts has been exhibited widely with We English touring to over thirty national and international venues.

He’s had solo shows at the National Media Museum, Bradford, Museum of Contemporary Photography, Chicago, and Multimedia Art Museum Moscow, and been included in numerous group exhibitions. Recent shows include Observers: British Photography and the British Scene (From the 1920s to Now) at Galeria de Arte SESI, Brazil, and Landmark: The Fields of Photography at Somerset House, London. His photographs reside in major public and private collections, including the George Eastman House, Deutsche Börse Art Collection and Wilson Centre for Photography.

In recognition for his work, Roberts has received several awards including the Vic Odden Award (2007) - offered for a notable achievement in the art of photography by a British photographer, along with bursaries from the National Media Museum (2007), John Kobal Foundation (2008) and grants from Arts Council England (2007, 2010, 2011, 2014). He was commissioned as the official Election Artist by the House of Commons Works of Art Committee to produce a record of the 2010 General Election on behalf of the UK Parliament. In 2012 he was granted access by the International Olympic Committee to photograph the London Olympics and most recently was made an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Photographic Society, UK (2013).

He has published three critically acclaimed monographs, Motherland (Chris Boot, 2007), We English (Chris Boot, 2009) - voted by Martin Parr as one of the best photography books of the past decade - and Pierdom (Dewi Lewis Publishing, 2013).

One commentator has described his photographs as “subtle in their discovery and representation of forms of cultural character, which, upon closer inspection, reveal a richness of detail and meaning. They exhibit a disciplined compositional restraint, a richness of palette, and a wealth of narrative incident.” 

Selected Solo Exhibitions

2015

Brighton Museum & Art Gallery (Brighton, UK): Pierdom

2014

BredaPhoto (Breda, Holland): Pierdom, September – October

Pallant House Gallery (Chichester, UK): Pierdom National Exhibition, July - October

Grundy Art Gallery (Blackpool, UK): Pierdom National Exhibition, July - September

Quay Arts (Isle of Wight, UK): Pierdom National Exhibition, July - September

SeaCity Museum (Southampton, UK): Pierdom National Exhibition, July – August

Towner Gallery (Eastbourne, UK): Pierdom National Exhibition, July – August

Brighton Museum & Art Gallery (Brighton, UK): Pierdom National Exhibition, July – August

Kirkleatham Museum (Redcar): Pierdom National Exhibition, July – August

Aberystwyth Arts Centre (Aberystwyth, UK): Pierdom National Exhibition, July – August

Teign Heritage Centre (Teignmouth, UK): Pierdom National Exhibition, July

Burgh Hall (Dunoon, UK): Pierdom National Exhibition, July

Turner Contemporary (Margate, UK): Pierdom National Exhibition, June - September

Multimedia Art Museum (Moscow, Russia): Landscape Studies of a Small Island, April - May             

2013

Klompching Gallery (New York, USA): Pierdom, November - December

Robert Morat Galerie (Hamburg, Germany): Pierdom, November - December

Flowers Gallery (London, UK): Pierdom, September - October

Format Festival (Derby, UK): Let This Be a Sign, March – April

Flowers Gallery (London, UK): The Election Project, February – April 

Phos Fotografia (Chieri, Italy): We English, January - March

MC2 Gallery (Milan, Italy): Pierdom, January - February

2012

4RT Contemporary (Lausanne, Switzerland): We English, December – January

The Photographers’ Gallery, Print Sales (London, UK): Pierdom, July - September

Third Floor Gallery (Cardiff, UK): We English, July - August

Swiss Cottage Gallery (London, UK): Let This Be a Sign, May - June

Light House (Wolverhampton, UK): We English, January - March

Pluie d'Images (Brittany, France): We English, January - February

2011

Centro Brasileiro Britânico (São Paulo, Brazil): We English, November – February

Hereford Photo Festival (Hereford, UK): Landscapes of Innocence & Experience, November

Flowers East (London, UK): We English, October - November

Photaumnales Festival (Beauvais, France): We English, September - November

SIFEST Photography Festival (Savignano, Italy): An Italian Story, September - October

UH Galleries, St Albans Museum (St Albans, UK): We English, July - September Brighton Museum & Art Gallery (Brighton, UK): We English, May - August

mac Gallery (Birmingham, UK): We English / Landscapes of Innocence & Experience, May – July mac Gallery (Birmingham, UK): The Election Project, April - June

New York Photo Festival (New York, USA): Landscapes of Innocence & Experience, May

MC2 Gallery (Milan, Italy): We English, April - May

Robert Morat Galerie (Hamburg, Germany): Motherland & We English, March - April

DMB Project Space (London, UK): Polyarnye Nochi, January –March

Spazio Labo' - Centro di Fotografia (Bologna, Italy): We English, January - February

2010

Clocktower Gallery (Croydon, UK): We English, November – February

Robert Morat Project Space (Berlin, Germany): We English, October - December

EX3 Centro l’Arte Contemporanea (Firenze, Italy), Motherland, Homeland, Oct - November

Brighton Photo Fringe (Brighton, UK): The Election Project, October

SIFEST Photography Festival (Savignano, Italy): We English, September - October

House of Commons (London, UK): The Election Project, September - December

National Media Museum (Bradford, UK): We English, March - September

Burgh Hall, (Dunoon, UK): We English, April - July

Bank Street Arts (Sheffield, UK): Motherland, May - June

Bonington Gallery (Nottingham, UK): Motherland, Homeland, February - March

Crane Kalman (Brighton, UK): Polyarnye Nochi, Jan—February

2009

South Hill Park Arts Centre (Bracknell, UK): We English, November - January

The Photographers’ Gallery (London, UK): We English, September - November

Klompching Gallery, (New York, USA): We English, September – October

2008

Blank Gallery (Brighton, UK): Motherland- Landscapes of Longing, October

Belfast Exposed (Belfast, Northern .Ireland): Motherland, January – March

2007

Klompching Gallery (New York, USA): Motherland, October - December

Lodz Foto Festiwal (Lodz, Poland): Motherland, May

Photofusion (London, UK): Motherland, April - May

Pushkin House (London, UK): Motherland, March

The Photographers’ Gallery (London, UK): Motherland, February - April 

Fellowships and Prizes

Arts Council England Grant (UK), 2014

Honorary Fellowship, Royal Photographic Society (UK), 2013

North East Photography Network commission (UK), 2013

Above&Beyond artist commission for Bristol Royal Infirmary (UK), 2013

BNL - BNP Paribas Group Award, MIA Art Fair, Finalist (Italy), 2012

Deutsche Börse Photography Prize, Nomination for We English monograph (UK), 2011

Creative Review Photography Annual - Pierdom (UK), 2011

International Photography Awards, First Prize - Political category (USA), 2011

International Photography Awards, Honorable Mention - Architecture category (USA), 2011

Arts Council England Grant (UK), 2011

BMW Paris Photo Prize, Shortlisted (France), 2010

Official Election Artist, House of Commons Works of Art Committee (UK), 2010

PDN Photo Annual, Best Photography Book - We English (USA), 2010

World Press Photo Award, Daily Life Stories, Third Prize (Netherlands), 2010

Arts Council England Grant (UK), 2010

Royal Photographic Society Fellowship Distinction (UK), 2009

EU Imagine a New World, Public's Favourite Award, Shortlisted (EU), 2009

Creative Review Photography Annual (UK), 2009

New York Photo Festival Book Award - We English (USA), 2009

KLM Paul Huff Award, Shortlisted (Amsterdam), 2009

ArtSlant Showcase Winner (USA), 2009

Deutsche Börse Photography Prize, Nomination for Motherland exhibition (UK), 2008

John Kobal Foundation Grant (UK), 2008

PDN Photo Annual, Best Photography Book - Motherland (USA), 2008

American Photography 24 Annual (USA), 2008

National Media Museum Bursary (UK), 2007

Arts Council England Grant (UK), 2007

Vic Odden Award (UK), 2007

Arles Contemporary Book Award, Motherland shortlisted (France), 2007

PHotoEspana Year's Best Photography Books, Motherland shortlisted (Spain), 2007

Lodz Foto Festiwal Special Prize (Poland), 2007

Association of Photographers Document Award (UK), 2007

Getty Grant (USA), 2006

Photography Now - One Hundred Portfolios (USA), 2006

PHotoEspaña Festival Descubrimientos PHE06 (Spain), 2006

Review Santa Fe, Selected Participant (USA), 2006

Magenta Foundation Bright Spark Award (Canada), 2006

Alexia Foundation Grant, Highly Commended (USA), 2006

PDN Photo Annual Award (USA), 2006

Lange–Paul Taylor Prize, Finalist (USA), 2006

Association Of Photographers Open Awards, Best In Show (UK), 2005

NPPA Best of Photojournalism, Magazine Picture Story (USA), 2005

PDN Photo Annual Award (USA), 2005

Photo District News’ PDN30 Emerging Artist (USA), 2004

Chinese Humanity Photo Award, Daily Life Category (China), 2004

World Press Foundation Joop Swart Masterclass (Amsterdam), 2003

XIV Yann Geffroy Award, Honorable Mention (Italy), 2003

Anne Bolt Memorial Award (UK), 1999

Ian Parry Award (UK), 1998

Selected Public Collections

Birmingham Central Library, Birmingham, UK

Croydon Museum, Croydon, UK

Deutsche Börse Art Collection, Frankfurt, Germany

George Eastman House, Rochester, USA

Museum of Contemporary Photography, Chicago, USA

National Media Museum, Bradford, UK

Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Missouri, USA

Pallant House Gallery, Chichester, UK

Parliamentary Art Collection, UK

Royal Photographic Society, UK

Swiss Cottage Gallery/ London Borough of Camden, UK

Wilson Centre for Photography, London, UK

Monographs

Pierdom. Photographs by Simon Roberts. Essay by Francis Hodgson. Dewi Lewis Publishing, 2013.

This Is A Sign. Photographs by Simon Roberts. Self published (newsprint), 2012.

The Election Project. Photographs by Simon Roberts, Essays by Greg Hobson, Sean O’Hagan and Peter Wilby. Self published (newsprint), 2010.

We English. Photographs by Simon Roberts. Essay by Stephen Daniels. Chris Boot, 2009.

Motherland. Photographs by Simon Roberts. Essay by Rosamund Bartlett. Chris Boot, 2007.

Publications

Show Me The Money – The Image of Finance. Manchester Uni press; UK, 2014.

The Photobook: A History Volume III. Phaidon; UK, 2014.

Contatti – Provini D’Autore Volume II. Postcard; Italy, 2013.

Hijacked III - Contemporary Photography from Australia & UK. BigCityPress: Australia, 2012.

Flash Forward - 5th Anniversary. Magenta Foundation: Canada, 2009.

This Day of Change. Kodansha Limited: Japan, 2009.

XL Photography 3. Hatje Cantz: Germany, 2007.

Flash Forward 2007. Magenta Foundation: Canada, 2007.

Granta 94: On the Road Again. Photoessay by Simon Roberts. Granta: London, 2006.

Eyes Wide Open. Chris Boot: London, 2004.

10 Years of the Joop Swart Masterclass. World Press Foundation: Amsterdam, 2004. 

exhibitions:

Public Performance

Dialogues 2: Photography

artist's website:

http://www.simoncroberts.com