Ian Beesley Explained

Ian Beesley (born 1954) is a British social documentary photographer who has focused on Northern England, particularly Bradford, since the late 1970s.^{[1] [2] [3]} He was course leader for the MA in photography at the University of Bolton.^[4] Beesley's work is held in the collections of the Science Museum Group and Smithsonian Institution.^{[1] [5]} In 2012, he was awarded an Honorary Fellowship of the Royal Photographic Society.^[6]

Life and work

Beesley was born in Eccleshill, Bradford.^[7] He studied at Bradford Art College and Bournemouth & Poole College of Art.^[8]

Since the late 1970s, he has documented the changing social landscape of Northern England, particularly in Bradford.^{[2] [3] [9]} He photographed Salts Mill in Saltaire as it was closing down in 1986.^[10] He spent five years working on the series The Art of Clubbing, about nightclub culture in the UK.^[11]

He was course leader for the MA in photography at the University of Bolton in Greater Manchester.^[4]

Publications

Books

• Where Sky & Water Meet. Arts Council, 1982.
• Through the Mill. NMPFTV, 1987.
• Victorian Bradford. Ryburn, 1987.
• Now I can tell. McMillan, 1990.
• Warwickshire Hatters. Ryburn, 1988.
• Calderdale. Ryburn, 1988.
• Victorian Manchester & Salford. Ryburn, 1988.
• Leeds Architectural Heritage. Ryburn, 1993.
• A Place of Work. The Keeled University press, 1995.
• Claret & Amber. Darkroom/NMPFTV, 2000.
• Building Sights. Leeds City Council, 2001.
• The Power, the Pride, the Passion. Darkroom, 2001.
• Orphans of the Fallout. Darkroom, 2001.
• Heavy Metal. Darkroom, 2002.
• The End of the Shed. Darkroom, 2001.
• Meltdown Heads. together productions, 2004.
• Shining Out. Darkroom, 2006.
• The Leap. Darkroom, 2010.
• The Drift. NCME, 2011.
• T'Ales. Carlsberg/DRP, 2011.
• Born in Bradford. Incline, 2012.
  • Darkroom, 2014. With Ian McMillan. .
• The Book of damp. Darkroom, 2014. Photographs by Beesley, poems by Ian McMillan. .
• A box full of cuckoos. Darkroom, 2014.
• Magic Lantern Tales. Darkroom, 2014.
• Taraxacum Officinale. Darkroom, 2014.
• Grafters: Industrial Society in Image and Word. Unified Theory of Everything, 2016. Curated by Beesley, poems by Ian McMillan. .
• Life. London: Bluecoat, 2023. A retrospective.

Zines

• Esholt Sewage works Bradford 1977–78. Southport: Café Royal, 2016.
• Through the Mill. Southport: Café Royal, 2016.
• The Drift. Southport: Café Royal, 2016.
• Tetleys Brewery Leeds. Southport: Café Royal, 2017.

Solo exhibitions

• A touring exhibition across Finland, organised by the National Museum of Labour History, 2003^[12]
• Life, Salts Mill, Saltaire, Bradford, 2022. A retrospective.^{[2] [13]}

Collections

• Science Museum Group, London: 131 prints (as of 17 March 2023)^[1]
• Smithsonian Institution, Washington, USA: 5 prints (as of 17 March 2023)^[5]

Awards

• 2012: Honorary Fellowship of the Royal Photographic Society, Bath^[6]

Notes and References

1. Web site: 2023-03-17. Ian Beesley - Science Museum Group Collection. Science Museum Group.
2. Web site: Four decades of photographs of Yorkshire grit by Ian Beesley go on display for the first time . 17 September 2022 .
3. Web site: Marigold. Warner. 2023-03-18. Ian Beesley's 45-year documentation of working life in Bradford - 1854 Photography. British Journal of Photography.
4. Web site: 2023-03-17. Industrious Ian scoops two awards. Oldham Evening Chronicle.
5. Web site: 2023-03-17. Ian Beesley - Smithsonian American Art Museum. americanart.si.edu.
6. Web site: 2023-03-17. Fellowship honour for city artist. Bradford Telegraph and Argus.
7. Web site: 2023-03-17. From Premier League City to old mills - Beesley's camera captures it all. Bradford Telegraph and Argus.
8. News: Sarah. Phillips. 2023-03-17. Ian Beesley's best photograph: a sewage foreman captured in tears. The Guardian. 16 January 2013. 0261-3077.
9. News: 2023-03-17. Life, Bradford style: the work of Ian Beesley – in pictures. The Guardian. 19 August 2022. 0261-3077.
10. News: 2023-03-17. New exhibition captures Salts Mill 30 years on. BBC News. 8 September 2017.
11. Web site: 2023-03-17. BBC - Bradford and West Yorkshire - Going Out -. BBC.
12. Web site: 2023-03-17. Mill photos under spotlight in Finland. Bradford Telegraph and Argus.
13. Web site: Steve. Fairclough. 2023-03-17. First career retrospective of Ian Beesley to open in Saltaire. 28 July 2022. Amateur Photographer.