The Newport Survey was an annual publication made by students on the Documentary Photography course at the Newport College of Art in the 1980's.
Each year, over a ten year period, a different aspect of Newport life was photographed. In 1984, industry was the topic for my year and the pages presented here represent my very first published work.
'Image and Exploration' was the first exhibition to include any of my work. The exhibition was at the Photographers Gallery in London in 1985. It was curated by Jonathan Bayer and Alex Noble.
'Image and Exploration' was a broad survey of work by seventy British photographers. For the most part all participants were young to photography, either self taught or having graduated from colleges during the 1970's and 80's.
The 'Valleys Project' was my very first commission. The 'Valleys Project' was a six-year series of artist commissions established by Ffoto Gallery in Cardiff in 1984. My commission was one of three in the project’s inaugural year, Ron McCormick and John Davies being the other two recipients.
The 'Valleys Project' was a unique undertaking to document what has to be one of the most beautiful yet industrialised landscapes of Northern Europe.
The Valleys Project first exhibition at Ffoto Gallery in Cardiff. September 1984.
My first serious piece of work in colour was, 'I Can Help'. The book launch and first public exhibition of this work was held at Ffoto Gallery in Cardiff in 1988.
'I Can Help', book launch and exhibition opening at Ffoto Gallery in Cardiff. April 1988.
Published by Cornerhouse Publications (1988) ISBN 10:0948797061 ISBN 13:9780948797064 Soft cover: 212x263 mm. Texts by Stuart Cosgrove and Rod Jones. 78 pages with 34 full colour plates.
After the first showing at Ffoto Gallery in Cardiff, 'I Can Help' opened at the Photographers Gallery in London before touring nationally.
One of the great benefits of the Arts Council of Great Britain's publication awards for photography was that the resulting books gave British photography greater visibility internationally.
In the winter of 1988 the American magazine, Aperture dedicated the entire edition to the subject of British photography. The title, 'Towards a Bigger Picture' was a reference to an exhibition on the same subject at the Victoria and Albert museum in London in that same year.
In 1989 my work was shown at the Enschede Foto Biennale in Holland.
Other British photographers included, Victor Burgin, Peter Fraser, Paul Graham, Brian Griffin, John Hilliard, Karen Knorr, Martin Parr, Olivier Richon, Graham Smith, Joe Spence/Rosy Martin, Mitra Tabrizian and Andy Golding.
'Through the Looking Glass', was a 1989 survey exhibition of British photography at London's Barbican Art Gallery. It was curated by Gerry Badger and John Benton-Harris. The exhibition included five of my photographs from, 'I Can Help'.
'Flogging a Dead Horse' was a touring exhibition and book. The exhibition opened on the 15th of July 1993 at Zone gallery in Newcastle upon Tyne.
'Flogging a Dead Horse' was supported by a commission from Impressions gallery in York. 'Heritage and Image' was published in 1990 for the Impressions exhibition of the same title.
'Pivot' sixteen artists using photography, was an Oriel Mostyn exhibition, curated by Susan Beardmore, which opened in June 1991.
Exhibiting artists included, Chris Colclough, Suzanne Greenslade, Alistair Crawford, Peter Finnemore, Keith Arnatt, Sue Packer, Paul Reas, Helen Sear, Eileen Neff, Gavin Blake, Jack Carnell, David Graham, Shelley Bachman, Nancy Hellebrand, Norinne Betjemann and Susan Fenton.
"The exhibition and accompanying catalogue represents a series of glances across the Atlantic, from Wales to Philadelphia and back again”.
In 1992 some of the works, which would eventually be published in the book 'Flogging a Dead Horse,' were shortlisted for the ICI Photography Awards which was shown at the National Museum of Film and Photography in Bradford.
Published by Cornerhouse Publications (1993) ISBN: 0948797525 Soft cover: 240x300 mm. Texts by Stuart Cosgrove and Val Williams 64 pages with 31 full colour plates.
'Documentary Dilemmas', Aspects of British Documentary Photography 1983-1993 was a British Council touring exhibition. It was curated by Brett Rogers in 1994.
Exhibiting photographers included, John Davies, Anna Fox, Julian Germain, Paul Graham, Anthony Haughey, Chris Killip, John Kippin, Karen Knorr, Martin Parr, Ingrid Pollard, Paul Reas, Paul Seawright and Jem Southam.
'Who's Looking at the Family', was curated by Val Williams, Carol Brown and Brigitte Lardinois. It opened in 1994 at the Barbican Art Gallery in London.
'Portrait of an Invisible Man', was my contribution to the exhibition. It explored my troubled relationship with my father. The work was supported by the Andrew Sproxton Memorial Award.
'Europa' was exhibited at the Encontros De Fotografia De Coimbra festival in Portugal in 1997.
Exhibiting photographers included, Cristina Nunez, Stephane Duroy, Thomas Kern, Marc Trivier, Yves Tremorin, Paul Reas, Ines Goncalves, Eric Larrayadieu....
Edith Roux, Massimo Vitali, Walter Niedermayr, Ferran Freixa, Mark Power and Dolores Marat.
In 2001 I was invited by Rui Prata to make a series of photographs in Braga as a part of the Encontros da Imagem festival in Portugal.
The book and exhibition celebrating the work of photographer Tony Ray-Jones, and his influence upon British photographers, included my work in 2004.
The exhibition opened at the National Museum of Photography in Bradford and the book was published by Boot.
'The House in the Middle' exhibition opened at the Towner Art Gallery in October 2004. It was curated by Gordon MacDonald.
Exhibiting artists included, Danny Treacy, Martin Parr, Paul Reas, John Kippin, Richard Billingham, Jo Broughton, Dirk Wackerfuss, Anne Hardy, John Paul Bichard, Design Council Archive, BBC Picture Library, Collection of Chris Mullen, Los Alamos National Laboratory Protect and Survive.
The book, 'Family-Photographers photograph their families' was published by Phaidon in 2005. The book included my work about my father, 'Portrait of an Invisible Man'.
'How We Are was the first major exhibition of photography ever to be held at Tate Britain. It took a unique look at the journey of British photography, from the pioneers of the early medium to today’s....
photographers who use new technology to make and display their imagery. It opened in May 2007 and was curated by Val Williams and Susan Bright.
'How We Are' Tate Britain.
'How We Are' Tate Britain.
The 2008 May issue of Photoworks magazine featured my newly commissioned work about The Elephant and Castle in London.
'From a Distance' was the result of a commission from UAL and Southwark Council to document the impact of regeneration upon the area of the Elephant and Castle in London.
The exhibition opened in 2012 at the University of the Arts London Gallery.
In 2014 I contributed to the Aperture book, 'The Photographer's Playbook-307 assignments and ideas.
The Photographer's Playbook.
In 2013-14 Anne McNeill of Impressions Gallery curated a touring survey exhibition of my work over a 30 year period. The exhibition was called, 'Day Dreaming About The Good Times'. The exhibition opened in December 2014.
In March 2014 the exhibition, 'Day Dreaming About The Good Times', opened at Ffoto Gallery in Cardiff.
Creating the Countryside was a major exhibition at Compton Verney Gallery in 2017. The exhibition examined our relationship with the countryside by bringing together old masters and contemporary artists who’s work spans more than 350 years.
Exhibiting artists included, Thomas Gainsborough, Claude Lorrain, George Stubbs and Stanley Spencer are joined by pieces from contemporary artists such as Mat Collishaw, Anna Fox, Sigrid Holmwood, Grayson Perry and Paul Reas.
In December 2018 Gost published my book, 'Fables of Faubus'. The book is a retrospective monograph which spans 30 years of my practice and includes
many previously unpublished works.
Published December 2018 300 x 230 mm 240 pp, 140 duotone and full-colour illustrations Paperback Essays by Stuart Cosgrove, David Chandler, Ken Grant, Val Williams ISBN 978-1-910401-10-1
The special edition of 'Fables of Faubus' was also published in 2018.
The Collectors Edition of 50 boxed copies 240mm x 300mm included the book bound in the original 1980’s wallpaper that features in one of my photographs from the series.
Edition presented in a cloth-covered and foiled box. Includes 4 12″ x10″ prints signed, numbered and dated on reverse. The black and white print is a silver gelatine print, and the colour images are C-type prints.
'Facing Britain'. British documentary photography since the 1960's. Curated by Ralph Goertz and first shown at the Museum Goch in Germany in 2020.
Published by Thames and Hudson and the Martin Parr Foundation in 2022. Another Country: British Documentary Photography Since 1945 by Gerry Badger
Another Country offers a lively, vital rethinking of British documentary photography over the last seven decades.
'The 80's: Photographing Britain'. Tate Britain exhibition and publication. 2024.
This exhibition traces the work of a diverse community of photographers, collectives and publications –creating radical responses to the turbulent Thatcher years.
Set against the backdrop of race uprisings, the miner strikes, section 28, the AIDS pandemic and gentrification.
In 2024 my retrospective exhibition, 'Fables of Faubus' opened at the Guernsey Museum as a part of the Guernsey Photography Festival.
The exhibition was curated by Festival Director, Jean-Christophe Godet
In November 2025 my retrospective exhibition, 'Fables of Faubus' began a French tour.
The exhibition was included in the 2025 Glaz Festival of Photography in Rennes, directed by Jean-Christophe Godet
It opened at Galerie Le Carre D'art in Rennes and was curated by Francois Boucard.
In February 2026 the exhibition opened at L'atelier at the Centre Claude Cahun in Nantes, France.
Interviews and film of opening night.
Paul Reas in conversation with David Hurn. Tintern, February 2019.
Short film about the exhibition featuring curators Verity Elson and Dr Rosemary Shirley.
Short interview with Paul Reas about his retrospective exhibition, 'Day Dreaming About The Good Times', at Impressions Gallery in Bradford.
'How We Are' at Tate Britain was curated by Val Williams and Susan Bright. Here is a short filmed interview with Susan Bright.
Illustrated talk at the Martin Parr Foundation. 21st February 2019
'Facing Britain' was curated by Ralph Goertz and first shown at the Museum Goch in Goch Germany in 2020 before touring. The exhibition looks at British Documentary since the 1960's.
