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.