Matt Stuart (photographer) explained

Matt Stuart (1974)^[1] is a British street photographer.^[2] He was a member of the In-Public street photography collective.^[3] Stuart also works as an advertising photographer.^[4]

His books of street photography include All That Life Can Afford (2016)^[5] and Into the Fire (2020). His work has also been exhibited in solo exhibitions in Britain and the USA. Of note, his work also appeared in group exhibitions at the Museum of London (which acquired his work for its permanent collection), the Museum of the City of New York, France, Bangkok and Stockholm.

Life and work

Stuart was born in Harrow, north west London, in 1974.^[6] In interviews he has described his life as having been spent singularly and obsessively devoted to one interest after another, including skateboarding^[7] from 1986 to 1994,^[8] and kung fu, before taking up photography working as an assistant to a photographer for three years. From that experience, he turned professional by working for himself from 2000 onward. His personal street photography is his main focus, predominantly in London—his book All That Life Can Afford (2016)^[9] includes photographs made there between 2002 and 2015. He also works commercially as an advertising photographer, and leads street photography workshops.^{[10] [11]} Stuart became a member of the In-Public street photography collective in 2001 and in 2016 was a nominee member of Magnum Photos.^[12]

Publications

Publications by Stuart

• All That Life Can Afford. London: Plague, 2016. .^[13] With an essay by Geoff Dyer, "Why does he do this every day?". First edition of 1000 copies and 100 limited editions; second printing, edition of 1000 copies and 100 limited editions.
• Into the Fire. Richmond, UK: Setanta, 2020. Edition of 1000 copies.
• All That Life Can Afford. Second edition, re-designed and with a new sequence of images. London: Plague, 2020. With an essay by Dyer. Edition of 1000 copies.
• Think Like a Street Photographer. London: Laurence King, 2021. . With text by Gemma Padley and a foreword by Derren Brown.^[14]

Publications co-edited by Stuart

• Reclaim the Street: Street Photography's Moment. London: Thames & Hudson, 2023. With Stephen McLaren. .

Publications with contributions by Stuart

• Publication #1. London: Nick Turpin Publishing, 2009. Essays by Hin Chua, David Gibson, Michael David Murphy and Nick Turpin. Photographs by Stuart, Narelle Autio, Martin Kollar, Joel Meyerowitz, Tod Papageorge, Trent Parke and Garry Winogrand. Edition of 2000 copies.
• Photography in 100 Words: Exploring the Art of Photography with Fifty of its Greatest Masters. By David Clark. London: Argentum, 2009. .
• 10 – 10 Years of In-Public. London: Nick Turpin, 2010. . Includes an essay by Jonathan Glancey, "Outlandish Harmony"; a foreword by Turpin; and a chapter each by Stuart and other In-Public photographers.
• Street Photography Now. London: Thames & Hudson, 2010. (hardback). London: Thames & Hudson, 2011. (paperback). Edited by Sophie Howarth and Stephen McLaren.
• London Street Photography: 1860–2010. London: Museum of London; Stockport: Dewi Lewis, 2011. . Selected from the Museum of London collection by Mike Seaborne and Anna Sparham. Published to accompany an exhibition at the Museum of London.
• The World Atlas of Street Photography. New Haven and London: Yale University Press: 2014, . Edited by Jackie Higgins. With a foreword by Max Kozloff.
• The Street Photographer's Manual. London: Thames & Hudson, 2014. . By David Gibson. Includes a profile of Stuart.
• Failed it!: How to turn mistakes into ideas and other advice for successfully screwing up. London: Phaidon, 2016. By Erik Kessels. .
• Unseen London. London: Hoxton Mini Press, 2017. . With photographs by and interviews with various photographers, and text by Rachel Segal Hamilton.

Exhibitions

Solo exhibitions

• On The Way, main post office, Helsinki, Finland, October–November 2004.^[15]
• KK Outlet, London, February 2010.^{[16] [17]}
• Look Both Ways, Leica Gallery San Francisco, February–April 2015;^[18] Leica Store Washington DC, May–? 2015;^[19]

Exhibitions with others or during festivals

• Onto the Streets, Photofusion, London, 2006, then toured with the British Council.^[20] Curated by Stephen McLaren and Sophie Howarth.
• in-public @ 10, Photofusion, Brixton, London, 2010.^{[21] [22] [23]} Travelled to Les Ballades Photographiques de Seyssel, Seyssel, France, 2011;^{[24] [25]} Included photographs by In-Public members.
• Street Photography Now, Third Floor Gallery, Cardiff, 2010. Photographs from the book Street Photography Now (2011).^[26]
• Street Photography Now, shop windows throughout the Canal Saint-Martin area, part of Mois de la Photo-OFF, Paris, 2010.^[27] Gallery Lichtblick, Cologne, 2010; Uno Art Space, Stuttgart, 2011.^[28]
• Derby Museum and Art Gallery, Format International Photography Festival, Derby, UK, 2011. Exhibition of photographs by In-Public members and the film In-Sight (2011).^{[29] [30] [31]}
• London Street Photography: 1860-2010, Museum of London, London, 2011.^[32] Travelled to the Museum of the City of New York, 2012.^[33]
• iN-PUBLiC: An Exhibition of Street Photography, Thailand Creative and Design Centre, Bangkok, Thailand, 2013. In conjunction with the British Council.^{[34] [35] [36]} Photographs by In-Public members.
• In Public, Snickerbacken 7, Stockholm, Sweden, 2013.^[37] Photographs by In-Public members.
• Pedestrians, Photomonth festival, Leica Mayfair, London, 2015.^[38]
• The Magic Lantern Show, Deadhouse, Somerset House, London, during Photo London, 2016. Exhibition of prints by Stuart accompanied by projections of work by Marina Sersale, Bredun Edwards and The Lurkers.^{[39] [40] [41]}

Awards

• 2005: One of Photo District News's "PDN 30 2005: New and Emerging Photographers to Watch"^[42]

Collections

Stuart's work is held in the following public collection:

• Museum of London, London.^[43]

Notes

1. Web site: 2022-12-29. Matt Stuart. UP Photographers.
2. News: 10 International street photographers who change the way we see the world. 24 September 2014 . 17 January 2016 . Priscilla . Frank . . New York .
3. Book: Turpin, Nick . 10 – 10 Years of In-Public . 2010 . Nick Turpin Publishing . London . 978-0-9563322-1-9.
4. Web site: Sharif . Sakr . A guide to street photography: Matt Stuart, manners and human autofocus. 30 November 2013 . 23 January 2016 . .
5. Street view . Time Out London . 26 January 2016 . 28–29 . Time Out.
6. Web site: Blake Andrews . Blake Andrews . Q & A With Matt Stuart. 10 March 2015 . 23 January 2016 .
7. News: London, Very Dry, With a Twist. 1 November 2010 . 17 January 2016 . Christopher . Schuetze . . New York .
8. Web site: Matt Stuart . 5 February 2016 . . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20160206080419/http://www.in-public.com/MattStuart . 6 February 2016 . dmy-all .
9. Street view . Time Out London . 26 January 2016 . 28–29 . Time Out.
10. News: Street Photography Now with Matt Stuart and Stephen McLaren. 29 June 2012 . 16 January 2016 . . London .
11. Web site: Chris . Cheesman . Leica to host pre-Christmas photography events. 5 December 2013 . 23 January 2016 . .
12. Web site: Simon . Bainbridge . Magnum Photos announces two new nominee members following its 69th AGM. 27 June 2016 . 27 June 2016 . Apptitude Media Ltd . .
13. The ISBN was erroneously published as 978-0-9935090 in the first edition.
14. Web site: Grace. Ebert. 2022-12-29. Street Photographer Matt Stuart's Incredibly Serendipitous Images Collected in a New Book. 5 July 2022. Colossal (blog).
15. Web site: Syyskuu 2004 diginews, digikamera, digitaalikamera. 30 September 2004 . 1 March 2016 . Digicamera.net .
16. Web site: David . Hellqvist . Happy Accidents: Photographer Matt Stuart is exhibiting a decade worth of accidental moments captured in London.. 8 February 2010 . 23 January 2016 . .
17. Web site: Teo . van den Broeke . Look Both Ways by Matt Stuart. 1 February 2010 . 23 January 2016 . .
18. Web site: Matt Stuart: Look Both Ways . 23 January 2016 . Leica Store San Francisco . https://web.archive.org/web/20160403042703/https://www.leicastoresf.com/gallery/exhibitions/previous-exhibitions/matt-stuart-look-both-ways/ . 3 April 2016 . dead .
19. Web site: Louis . Jacobson . Matt Stuart Finds the Humor and Absurdity in Street Photography. 3 June 2015 . 23 January 2016 . .
20. Web site: Photofusion Presents Onto the Streets. 6 August 2015 . ArtDaily .
21. in-public @ 10. Amateur Photographer. 12 June 2010. Internet Archive.
22. Web site: In-Public@10. 16 January 2016 . Photofusion .
23. The Photofusion website claims it showed the exhibition in 2012 but it actually did so in 2010.
24. Web site: 74 - Seyssel • Balades photographiques de Seyssel. 11 February 2015 . .
25. News: Les balades photographiques de Seyssel, du 12 au 23 juillet . 7 July 2011 . 11 February 2015 . . https://web.archive.org/web/20160205021329/http://www.latribunerepublicaine.fr/Actualite/Sortir/article_1430433.shtml . 5 February 2016 . dead .
26. "Street photography now at the Third Floor Gallery ", In-Public, 5 October 2010. Retrieved 11 February 2013.
27. Web site: Street Photography Now Takes Over Paris. 6 August 2015 . Nathalie Belayche . Food for your Eyes .
28. Web site: Street Photography Now. 6 August 2015 . Uno Art Space .
29. Web site: In-Public at the Derby Museum and Art Gallery . 16 January 2016 . Format Festival . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20160402100617/http://archive11.formatfestival.com/exhibitions/exhibition/public-derby-museum-and-art-gallery . 2 April 2016 . dmy-all .
30. Web site: Format Programme Announcement . 10 February 2015 . Format Festival . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20150211122147/http://archive11.formatfestival.com/news-and-press/format-programme-announcement . 11 February 2015 .
31. News: Format Festival: Street photography steals the show. 3 March 2011 . 11 February 2015 . Matilda . Battersby . .
32. Web site: Museum of London - London Street Photography . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110322232736/http://www.museumoflondon.org.uk/English/EventsExhibitions/Special/London-Street-Photography/Default.htm . 22 March 2011 .
33. Web site: The streets of London and New York come to life in this exhibition and companion installation. . 12 February 2015 . . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20160304110850/http://www.mcny.org/content/london-street-photography . 4 March 2016 .
34. Web site: iN-PUBLiC: An Exhibition of Street Photography . 10 February 2015 . . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20150213060930/http://www.britishcouncil.or.th/en/programmes/arts/past-projects/public-exhibition-street-photography . 13 February 2015 .
35. Web site: iN-PUBLiC: An Exhibition of Street Photography. 26 March 2016 . Thailand Creative and Design Centre .
36. News: In-Public: An Exhibition of Street Photography. 26 March 2016 . .
37. Web site: In Public . Snickarbacken 7 . 23 March 2016.
38. Web site: Matt Stuart: Pedestrians at Photomonth. 12 February 2015 . .
39. Web site: The Magic Lantern Show. 24 May 2016 . Photo London .
40. Web site: "The city doesn't inspire me. The people do" Matt Stuart's London street photography and participation in Photo London 2016. 20 May 2016 . 24 May 2016 . .
41. News: I love London so: snapshots of a bustling city – in pictures. 16 May 2016 . 24 May 2016 . . London .
42. Web site: Matt Stuart . 23 January 2016 . . https://web.archive.org/web/20121129082707/http://pdngallery.com/gallery/pdns30/2005/06_thirty.htm . 29 November 2012 . dead .
43. Web site: Pigment Print: Trafalgar Square, 2006. 4 April 2016 . .

External links

• • Stuart's profile at In-Public
• "I love London so: snapshots of a bustling city – in pictures" – photographs from All That Life Can Afford at The Guardian
• Miniclick meets Matt Stuart – interview with Stuart (video)
• Conversations in Modernism by Ben Sherman: Part Two – conversation between Stuart and Ghostpoet (video)
• Stolen Moments: Matt Stuart (video)