Alan Dimmick Explained

Alan Dimmick
Birth Name:Alan John Dimmick
Birth Date:2 June 1961
Birth Place:Glasgow, Scotland
Nationality:Scottish
Field:Photography
Training:College of Building and Printing

Alan Dimmick (born 2 June 1961) is a Scottish photographer living and working in Glasgow. He is best known for documenting the Glasgow art scene.[1] [2] [3]

Early life

Dimmick was born in Glasgow in 1961,[4] and was named after astronaut Alan Shepard.[5] He attended Hyndland Secondary School between 1973 and 1979 and the College of Building and Printing, now part of City of Glasgow College,[6] between 1979 and 1982.[7]

After a short period spent working at the Mitchell Library[8] and the Southern General Hospital where his father was a neuroscientist,[9] Dimmick moved into a flat with rock band Del Amitri, which is where his work of documenting the art and music scene began. He was also encouraged by Scottish photographer Oscar Marzaroli.[10]

Work

Some of Dimmick's early works were purchased by the People's Palace in Glasgow and the Scottish Arts Council in the 1980s, and he exhibited in group shows at the Collins Gallery in Glasgow, the Pier Arts Centre in Stromness, and the Inverness Museum and Art Gallery.[11]

In 2007, an exhibition of his work was shown at Street Level Photoworks in Glasgow[12] and in 2012, his work documenting the Glasgow art scene was shown at the Gallery of Modern Art.[13] [14] [15] [16]

In 2017, a forty-year retrospective was held at the Stills Gallery in Edinburgh.[17] [18] The exhibition was followed by the publication of Alan Dimmick Photographs 1977–2017, with a launch event hosted by Timorous Beasties.[19] [20] In the same year, he was Artist in Residence at Stirling University.[21]

In 2022, a series of Dimmick's Glasgow photographs were displayed in a citywide outdoor exhibition.[22] [23] [24] In the same year, there was also a display of his work at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital as part of an NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde project to "animate public spaces."[25] In 2023, four of his photographs of Millport were included in an exhibition about Glasgow Fair at the Scottish Maritime Museum.[26]

Dimmick describes his composition style as "instinctive," but has cited as early influences Oscar Marzaroli's black-and-white portraits of Joan Eardley in her studio and Roger Mayne's pictures of post-war, working-class Londoners.[27]

Personal life

Alan's interests—often present in his work—include 1950s Americana, birdwatching and ham radio.[28] [29]

Solo shows

Book

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: Rip it up! Four decades of Glasgow's art scene - in pictures . Alan . Dimmick . The Guardian . March 2022 . 3 March 2022.
  2. News: Framing Glasgow's art scene is a snap for Alan Dimmick . Moira . Jeffrey . The Scotsman . 22 January 2012 . 13 January 2018.
  3. Web site: Photographer Alan Dimmick - interview. 14 March 2012. The List.
  4. Web site: Artist Profile: Alan Dimmick. Art 360 Foundation.
  5. Web site: Alan Dimmick on Instagram: "This is Alan Shepard...in May 1961 he became the 2nd man in space...just over 3 weeks later l arrived and my parents named me after…". https://ghostarchive.org/iarchive/s/instagram/BxSKhuqFQgg . 26 December 2021 . registration. Instagram.
  6. Web site: About Us. City of Glasgow College.
  7. Web site: Alan Dimmick .
  8. Web site: Down the Line with Alan Dimmick. Anchor FM.
  9. Web site: Incredible photos showing 50 years of Glasgow go on display at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital .
  10. Web site: Alan Dimmick: Documenting Life in Glasgow. Lomography.com.
  11. Web site: Alan Dimmick Photographs 1977–2017. Stills.org.
  12. Web site: Archived copy . 30 April 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180430181906/http://streetlevelphotoworks.org/mediaLibrary/other/english/13089.pdf . 30 April 2018 . dead .
  13. Web site: Alan Dimmick: Photographs from the last 15 years of contemporary art in Scotland.. Art Daily.
  14. Web site: Visual art review: Alan Dimmick: Photography From The Last 15 Years of Contemporary Art in Scotland, GoMA, Glasgow. The Scotsman.
  15. Web site: Alan Dimmick: Photographs from the last 15 Years of Contemporary Art in Scotland. The List.
  16. Web site: Alan Dimmick: Photographs from the last 15 Years of contemporary art in Scotland. Gallery of Modern Art (GoMA). 11 April 2018 .
  17. Web site: Works from a private photography collection & Alan Dimmick's studio archive. Stills.org.
  18. Web site: The Collection Series: Works from a private photography collection & Alan Dimmick's studio archive, 1977–2017. The Student.
  19. Web site: Purchase Alan Dimmick: Photographs 1977–2017. AlanDimmick.com.
  20. Web site: Alan Dimmick: New Photographs. Gallery of Modern Art (GoMA). 27 April 2018 .
  21. Web site: Arists in Residence: About. University of Stirling.
  22. News: Photos of old Glasgow on show in outdoor display . Dingwall . John .
  23. Web site: A new street collection of photography reveals Glasgow in all its glory .
  24. https://www.buildhollywood.co.uk/features/glasgow-then-and-now-alan-dimmicks-compelling-street-display-curated-by-martin-gray/
  25. Web site: Dick . Sandra . 2022-09-26 . Hospital puts focus on past to reveal changing face of Glasgow . 2022-11-26 . PressReader.
  26. https://news.stv.tv/west-central/dream-destinations-exhibition-celebrating-memories-of-trips-doon-the-watter
  27. Web site: Alan Dimmick: From the Archive. The Drouth.
  28. https://alandimmick.com/a-naturally-perspicacious-view-of-the-world/
  29. https://marissakeating.co.uk/Alan-Dimmick
  30. Web site: Alan Dimmick: From the Archive - 25 Photographs. SWG3.
  31. Web site: Alan Dimmick: Photographs at Stirling University, 2017. Stirling University.