Saddleworth Moor photograph by Matthew Murray
Reporter: Stuart Littleford
An award-winning photographer is seeking sponsorship from local businesses and other interested parties to help him publish a new book featuring his landscape photography of Saddleworth Moor.
Matthew Murray, is a photographer who exhibits work internationally, he shoots advertising commissions for ad agencies in London and Europe and has been repped by Gallery Vassie, Gallery for International Photography, in Amsterdam. www.galleryvassie.com
Matthew has been shooting a series of landscapes of Saddleworth Moor now for over three years, a selection of this work has been exhibited at Unseen Amsterdam, one of the photographs from the series won Best in Category at the Association of Photographers Awards in London www.the-aop.org/news/post/2014/12/12/the-aop-has-announced-the-winners-of-its-prestigious-photography-awards and a selection from this series was also shortlisted at the International Photography Awards in New York.
He is working with Grain Photography Hub in the West Midlands to exhibit this series of work of which there will be 40 large scale photographs in total, in Birmingham and at a venue in the North and he is currently in the middle of making a bid to The Arts Council of England for funding to make the exhibition happen. Matthew is also a University Lecturer at The University of Gloucestershire, the university have pledged at least £2000 to support the publication of a book/catalogue for the exhibition.
Matthew told Saddleworth news: “I wanted to produce a series of landscape photographs that I believed to be beautiful in their own right and by doing so hopefully challenge preconceived ideas surrounding Saddleworth Moor.
Matthew Murray – looking for sponsorship
“Documenting the moors landscape as picturesque and beautiful concentrating on light, composition and nature reveals a true appreciation of the beauty of the moors, from beautiful warm long summer days to snow storms in the depth of winter.
“Photographs of Saddleworth Moor are never taken at face value and the pure existence of a Saddleworth Moor photographic landscape challenges peoples’ preconceived ideals about what a landscape is, does and says to them.
“The disturbing history of Saddleworth Moor is eerily reflected through the dark metallic, large-scale exhibition prints but the series is more than just a document of crime scenes.
“Before I shot any of the work I walked the landscape for hours to get a ‘feel’ for the environment. Having never photographed a series of landscapes before, this series was challenge and a departure form the methodology and approach in my portraiture and street photography work. This is something I saw as strength as the creation of the work would not be influenced by what he already knew.
“My intentions when producing this series were honourable, honourable to the children who were murdered there and honourable to Saddleworth Moor.
“This is what Saddleworth says to me. I have been documenting this landscape for over three years and over all four seasons.”
Matthew was the winner of the Open Category at the Association of Photographers Awards 2014, The International Photography Awards, 2014 Honourable Mention in three separate categories
Deeper Perspective ‘Saddleworth Moor’, Published Book/People ‘Ska’, People Portrait ‘Stripper’ 2014, Finalist, The International Street Photography Awards, 2012.
He is now looking for Saddleworth organisations and businesses that may be interested in part funding the Saddleworth Moor Publication. Any participants would have an acknowledgement in the publication and on all publicity that will promote the Exhibition, ideally another £3000 would see the publication happen. The publication will be accompanied by a new piece of critically engaged writing on the work to be written by an author of international standing.
Matthew would really like the local community, business and the surrounding area to get involved with this project if possible.
If you are interested in the project and would like to more information and help with the production cost of the publication please contact him at matthew@matthewmurray.co.uk
Website: www.matthewmurray.co.uk