John Walmsley Surrey, United Kingdom
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I've worked as a freelance documentary photographer since leaving Art School in 1968. My final year project on A.S. Neill and his democratic school, Summerhill, was published as a Penguin Education Special in 1969. My work is at the National Portrait Gallery, Tate Britain Library, the National Art Library at the V&A, the V&A Museum of Childhood and la Bibliothèque nationale de France.

New book out: https://www.johnwalmsleyphotos.co.uk/-/galleries/store/wester-hailes-book-1979 In 1979 I had a grant from the Scottish Arts Council (now Creative Scotland) to live on the Wester Hailes housing scheme, work with the kids at the new Wester Hailes Education Centre (the WHEC), and wander the neighbourhood talking to locals and taking photos.

I particularly like photographing people, ordinary people, doing what they do. Most of the sets of pictures which have 'lasted' were ones I self-started and self-financed. They can all be seen on my new website where you can buy my prints, postcards and books.

I'd like to have more work in exhibitions so I'm very happy to have found Curator Space. I've exhibited work at the National Portrait Gallery twice and at the Bluecoat, Liverpool, but also like to show in smaller, less obvious places. When the Charing Cross Hospital, London, was opened, I put up a temporary exhibition there which was great for all the people with time on their hands. It brightened their day.

At the end of summer terms, I used to work with school kids, often the less academic but, I always thought, more enthusiastic and entrepreneurial spirits, and we'd spend the week on a project of their choice.

I now have a motto: 'Artists should be paid, too'. It seems to me that people think they should not have to pay for art. "It's there on the web so I can use it, right?" I give talks to artists, actors, photographers about what to do when someone uses your expensively produced work and refuses to pay for it. On this subject, I'm amazed that one artist will copy the work of another or incorporate it into their 'new work', without even asking or giving any credit to the original artist. I've suffered from this and it makes me very cross. Please do not do it. It's so easy to ask.

With social media, I'm a lone voice in the forest. I've read their T+Cs and read about the people who own and run those sites and the way they treat young people. I don't want anything to do with them so I don't 'Do' social media. Many artists, on the other hand, find it works for them. But, it all looks too dangerous to me. Flickr and LinkedIn are OK, though.

Artwork

77160. The hands and cigar of Cedric Price, architect., Photography, 1975

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77218. Walter Segal, architect., Photography, 1975

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74920. Elizabeth Fritsch, ceramicist, and Veryan Weston, jazz pianist, at Digswell Arts Centre., Photography, 1977

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124657. An effigy of British Prime Minister, Theresa May, outside the Houses of Parliament, during, Photography, 2019

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72213. 'Macbeth', performed by students at the Rose Bruford College., Photography, 2010

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71999. Cirrus clouds., Photography, 2011

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90859. Students working with light from candles and tilly lamps., Photography, 1968

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73734. 'Scallop' by Maggie Hambling, Aldeburgh, Suffolk., Photography, 2010

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77382. President Richard Nixon arriving at the US Embassy, London, 1969., Photography, 1969

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72732. Bonfires in the grounds of Summerhill School., Photography, 1968

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61293. Fashion Show put on by FE students., Photography, 2009

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120873. Apache helicopter at the Farnborough Air Show., Photography, 2016

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75841. Gala Day at Wester Hailes, Edinburgh where I was Photographer in Residence for the Scottish , Photography, 1979

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73958. Rainbow cloud., Photography, 2010

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70436. Vanessa Redgrave & Tariq Ali leading the anti-Vietnam war demonstration to Grosvenor Square,, Photography, 1968

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Projects and exhibitions

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Exhibition of photographs

12/02/2024 — ongoing

Exhibition of my photographs (alongside linocut prints by Jenny Rickman) in the café at the Institute. There'll be a Meet the Artists session on Tuesday 12th March from 10 to 11.30am so come along for a coffee and a chat, very informal, no booking necessary.

The Guildford Institute, Guildford Details

Guardian interview

25/01/2024 — ongoing

An interview with me in the Guardian about the book, 'Don't Tell Me How to Run My Art School', by John Walmsley & Clare Grey, and about my work protecting artists' rights. The Guardian, page 9, Arts section, 25th January, 2024. And online: ...

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The Guardian newspaper,, All over Details

Exhibition

12/01/2024 — ongoing

A joint exhibition by numerous artists in the gallery atop this old mill.

The Gallery, the Mill, Elstead Details

Postcards

05/01/2024 — ongoing

I have two A3 photos in this exhibition based on postcards. Organised and curated by @loosenart

Millepiani Exhibition Space, Rome Details

PRINT-IT 2024

05/01/2024 — ongoing

An exhibition and sale of prints to raise money for this gallery's work with artists and vulnerable people.

Aire Place Studios, Leeds, UK Details

Light & Shadow

02/12/2023 — ongoing

A joint exhibition of photos on the theme, 'Light & Shadow'.

Glasgow Gallery of Photography, Glasgow Details

Winter Lights

29/11/2023 — ongoing

An exhibition of postcard-sized artworks. My contribution is the actual postcard of this photo

Fronteer Gallery, Sheffield Details

B&W Spider Awards

22/11/2023 — ongoing

My photo included in the Photojournalism section of this year's Awards.

California, Beverley Hills Details

To The Sea

19/10/2023 — ongoing

Oranised by Shutter Hub, this is a year-long outdoor exhibition of photographs about the sea.

outdoors, Les Alizes (outside) Boulevard de l’Égalité, Saint Gilles Croix de Vie, France Details

Home

12/09/2023 — ongoing

A group exhibition of photographs

Sage Gallery, Bangkok Details

'Don't Tell Me How to Run My Art School'

12/09/2023 — ongoing

New book by John Walmsley, photographer, and Claire Grey, writer, about the sit-in at Guildford School of Art in 1968 which led directly to students and staff being invited onto Advisory Boards at schools, colleges and universities. Very glad to say it has been accepted into the National Art Library at the V&A and into the Tate Britain Library.

n/a Details

Shapes

02/06/2023 — ongoing

Group exhibition of photographs on 'Shapes'. Running until end of June 2023

Glasgow Gallery of Photography, Glasgow Details

Lucie Foundation Awards

19/05/2023 — ongoing

My photo was selected as a finalist in the Candid Portraits section of the 'Portraits: Take Two' Awards.

Online, Out of Los Angeles Details

Humans & the Environment

01/04/2023 — 30/04/2023

https://www.cistaarts.com/humansandtheenvironment Online exhibition of varied artwork. John Walmsley's Linktree: https://linktr.ee/johnwalmsleyphotos

Online, Online Details

Stories

11/03/2023 — ongoing

Exhibition of photographs where a single image tells or suggests a whole story.

Decode Gallery, Tucson, Arizona, USA. Details

Landscapes

03/03/2023 — ongoing

An exhibition by many photographers of landscape photos

Galsgow Gallery of Photography, Glasgow Details

Art Makes Me Smile

01/03/2023 — ongoing

A joint exhibition of artworks which would make people smile.

Heart of Art Gallery, Shipley, West Yorkshire Details

Portraits

17/02/2023 — ongoing

Gallery exhibition of portraits as paintings and photographs

A Smith Gallery, Johnson City, Texas, USA Details

ReFocus B&W Awards

07/02/2023 — ongoing

An international award for B&W photographs held annually and judged by world level judges.

Online, but out of California, Online, but out of California Details

PRINT IT!

03/02/2023 — ongoing

An exhibition to raise funds for Aire Place Studios which runs courses and art sessions for people with a wide range of disabilities.

Aire Place Studios, Leeds Details

Monochrome

06/01/2023 — ongoing

Joint exhibition from many photographers of their best black and white work. On until 30th Jan 2023.

Glasgow Gallery of Photography, Glasgow Details

Black & White

21/12/2022 — ongoing

Joint exhibition of B&W photographs from photographers worldwide.

New York Center for Photographic Art, New York city Details

Vox

09/12/2022 — ongoing

International exhibition of work by many different artists: https://www.artlymix.com/voxexhibition/

Echo Gallery, Sao Paolo, Brazil Details

Black & White Spider Awards

05/12/2022 — ongoing

I was fortunate enough to have three awards in this year's Spider Awards for B&W professional photographs: https://www.thespiderawards.com/gallery/17th/search?t=Walmsley&o=a&Submit=Search

Oline from Los Angeles, Los Angeles Details

Head On Photo Festival

04/11/2022 — ongoing

I have two photos, one in Landscape the other in Portraits, which reached the semi-final stage and are now on show as part of this major biennial Festival.

Bondi Pavillion, Bondi Beach, Sydney, Australia Details

Open Eco, Photofringe

04/11/2022 — ongoing

I have one photo in this exhibition on climate change. The show will be there for 6 months and is part of the biennial Brighton Photofringe Festival.

Outdoors on the Seafront, Worthing, Sussex. Details

Anything But Paint

13/10/2022 — ongoing

Exhibition of artworks which do not use paint. My contribution is a print of the Ebbw Vale steelworks, 1971, seen in full flow, belching out pollution all day, everyday.

Fronteer Gallery, Sheffield Details

My work over 5 decades

12/10/2022

A Zoom talk to members of the Edinburgh Photographic Society about my work and how I have managed to make a living as a freelance, documentary photograper since leaving art school in 1968. Working on longterm projects, self-publishing books, doing exhibitions and fighting people/companies who infringe my copyright.

Online Zoom, Edinburgh Details

Festival of Books of Photography

08/10/2022 — 09/10/2022

A two-day festival of talks and publishers presenting their books. I was there to promote my book as part of the Photobook Collective, a group of freelance photographers who all have pubished photobooks.

Paintworks, Royal Photograhic Society and Martin Parr Foundation, Bristol Details

Street

07/10/2022 — ongoing

A print of this photo is now on display as part of the 'Street' exhibition, at the Glasgow Gallery of Photography until 29th October 2022. It's a mini-skirted tour guide who had brought her group in, sat them down and started talking to them. I love the way her clothes contrasted with those of the statue in the distance. It's a historic...

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Glasgow Gallery of Photography, Glasgow Details

'We are Here'

23/09/2022 — 25/09/2022

Exhibition of small artworks for sale with all revenues going to local charities working with refugees. I provided many of my postcards.

Art Space, Cambridge Details

John Walmsley, documentary photographer for 50 years

16/09/2022 — ongoing

An exhibition of early B&W and recent colour photographs of life in the UK covering protests, education, the everyday and the more quirky.

The Riverside Café, the Maltings Arts Centre., Farnham, Surrey Details

New eBook available, 'Wester Hailes, 1979'

15/07/2022 — ongoing

This is an eBook edition of my book on life in Wester Hailes, Edinburgh, 1979. I was there as an Artist in Residence on a grant from the Scottish Arts Council (as was). The book is in the National Art Collection at the V&A. It was prepared and designed by students from Edinburgh College of Art.

https://tinyurl.com/eBookWesterHailesByWalmsley, N/A Details

Living in the Past

15/07/2022 — ongoing

Group exhibition from Friday 15th July to Saturday 27th August

Cupola Contemporary Art, Sheffield Details

eBook special edition on street photography

01/07/2022 — ongoing

This is a special edition of the gallery's magazine. https://www.collectartwork.org/post/streetphotography-specialedition

Collect Art Gallery (the publisher), Tbilisi, Georgia. Details

The Everyday

02/06/2022 — ongoing

An exhibition of the everyday.

Fronteer Gallery, Sheffield Details

Street Photography

02/06/2022 — ongoing

Selection of street photos by many photographers from around the world.

Online., Tbilisi, Georgia. Details

Summer Show

02/06/2022 — ongoing

A virtual joint exhibition organised by the FLUX gallery

FLUX gallery, Virtual, based in London Details

Fluid

27/04/2022 — ongoing

A joint exhibition with many other artists in this artist-run gallery.

Espacio Gallery, London Details

Getting Your Ducks in a Row

20/04/2022

A Zoom talk for the Futures Venture Foundation to artists about 'Getting Your Ducks in a Row', being business-like from the off so you protect your copyright and have the necessary records to be able to make people pay you when they use your work without permission.

Online, Manchester based Details

Curious Minds

02/04/2022 — ongoing

5 of my photos in an exhibition with many other artists

Virtual, organised by FLUX REVIEW, London Details

Chronos

26/03/2022 — ongoing

Chronos exhibition explores the complex nature and passage of time; how we relate to the past, how it influences our actions in the present and how we deal with our expectations for the future. It invites viewers to reflect on our awareness of time, how we organize our lives around it, and also the way we experience it.

Echo's Studio, Sao Paolo, Brazil. Details

'Hope'

22/02/2022 — ongoing

Collect Art was set up to promote local Georgian artists but now also accepts work from other artists. My work is in a physical show in Tbilisi and also online here: https://www.collectartwork.org/post/johnwalmsley

'Collect Art' Gallery, Tbilisi, Georgia Details

Talk to the National Union of Journalists (NUJ)

08/02/2022

I'm a member of the NUJ and this was a talk to the Edinburgh branch about my self-published book, 'Wester Hailes, 1979', based on a community on the edge of the city. I also talked about other projects I've done and then about how creative artists can protect their copyright, fight plagiarism and copyright infringements and derive an income...

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Zoom, Edinburgh, Scotland Details

Talk to the Society of Authors

11/01/2022

I'm also a member of the Society of Authors and had noticed there could be problems when authors used images. This talk was about where to source images and if you had a right to use them. It introduced individual artists' (incl' photographers) websites as well as the international picture libraries and confirmed that, for most images,...

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Zoom, Guildford, Surrey Details

ING Discerning Eye

12/11/2021 — ongoing

The annual exhibition of small artworks for sale to benefit this charity. Last day is Sunday 21st Nov 2021

Mall Galleries, the Mall., London Details

Wester Hailes, 1979 exhibition

25/10/2021 — ongoing

An exhibition of photos I took in Wester Hailes while on a grant from the Scottish Arts Council (as was) in 1979. It was held to coincide with a new self-published book of the photos complemented by reminiscences from people who were there at the time. Book available...

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WHALE Arts, Edinburgh Details

100 years of the Magistrates Association

11/10/2021 — 23/10/2021

Celebration of the wide range opf work covered by Magistrates. My section was on the Right of Association, three photos from the sit-in at Guildford School of Art, 1968.

D-Contemporary, London Details

The Virtual Art Fair 2021

30/04/2021 — ongoing

Wide range of artworks. Mine were photos of Stéphane Grappelli, Vanessa Redgrave, a landscape, art school sit-in from 1968

Online only: https://www.thevirtualartfair.co.uk/peoples-choice-award?pgid=kn7d3f8l-3904dd6f-3598 Details

Inner city: Out of Place

24/04/2021 — ongoing

The many facets of inner ciities. My two photos were of earthquake damage in Armenia and a beggar on the streets of Moscow.

Online only: https://loisemmaharkin.wixsite.com/innercityoutofplace/john-walmsley Details

Socially Engaged Art Salon

25/11/2020 — ongoing

I'm exhibiting my photos of the student sit-in at Guildford School of Art, 1968, which became the longest ever at an educational institution in the UK and led directly to students and staff being invited, for the first time, on to the Advisory Boards of schools, colleges and Unis.

Since 2016, SEAS has put on a successful programme of...

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https://www.seasbrighton.org/post/john-walmsley-there-is-a-market, Online Details

Kensington & Chelsea Art Week

18/10/2020 — ongoing

Little Voices is a place for addressing some of the greatest challenges of our time through collective creativity. See how artists today are mobilising action on climate change and inequality to create a better tomorrow.

Online at: https://www.little-voices.co.uk/john-walmsley Details

'100 Years of Justice'

01/09/2020 — ongoing

Online show here: https://www.ma100yearsofjustice.com/ It celebrates the first 100 years of the Magistrates Association covering the areas of life which magistrates commonly deal with. My section is on Freedom of Association.

Online. Physical show will be in 2021 Details

'Stand Up', celebrating International Women's Day

07/03/2020 — ongoing

The show is now online with a virtual tour here: https://artcoregallery.org.uk/virtual-tour/ The show in-gallery is closed.

Artcore Gallery, Derby Details

A Black and White Christmas

19/12/2019 — 11/01/2020

Had 30 B&W photographs as a rolling projected programme at the gallery.

Pineapple Black Arts, Middlesborough Details

'Falling Walls', mail art exhibition.

01/11/2019 — 16/11/2019

'Falling Walls' exhibition, part of the 'Berliner Zeitgeist' project at the Stroud Valleys Artspace, Stroud, Gloucestershire. This was an exhibition of Mail Art to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin wall.

Stroud Valleys Artspace., Stroud, Gloucestershire, UK. Details

Anna Scher Children's Theatre, 1972.

12/09/2019

In 1972, I spent many happy evenings photographing the Anna Scher Childen's Theatre in Islington. As with my other projects, I did it because it was interesting, fascinating, and was great for these local kids. This publication is one of the six of my work published by Café Royal Books: www.caferoyalbooks.com. The lad on the cover is a...

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Islington, London Details

'Finding Our Voice'

26/05/2018 — 08/07/2018

In 1968, I was a student at the Guildford School of Art. We were unhappy at the quality of teaching and structure of the courses so the students and concerned staff met to discuss what could be done and then asked to talk with the governors. They refused again and again so we began a sit-in which became the longest ever at a UK educational...

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Guildford House Gallery, Guildford Details

Protest and standing up for yourself.

11/05/2018

Liverpool John Moore's University held a four day festival called, 'Time Tunnel', and invited me to talk to, mainly, Fine Art students about protest, after my involvement with the long sit-in at the Guildford School of Art in 1968. I'm concerned that students these days are not given enough real life advice for a very demanding business...

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Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool Details

Liverpool Free School exhibition

20/07/2017 — 01/10/2017

In 1971 I had photographed the Liverpool Free School. In 2017 the photos were exhibited at the Bluecoat in Liverpool as part of the 'Abacus' exhibition. Also known as the Scotland Road or Scottie Road Free School it was founded and run as an alternative to normal school by two teachers, John Ord and Bill Murphy, who worked with the kids and...

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Bluecoat Gallery, Liverpool, UK Details
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