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After Foundation Studies in Art at the Oxford School of Design, I studied Fine Art (Painting) at the Byam Shaw School in London and gained a Leverhulme Scholarship and a BA (Hons) in Fine Art. I then painted for several years before moving towards photography - initially as a more lucrative means of earning a living - and worked on editorial commissions for Reader's Digest, Country Life and other publications. Having enthusiastically used a camera since the age of eleven, I see photography as an additional tool at the artist's disposal, rather than competing in any way with the traditional, more plastic, media of painting and drawing. I believe that labels, such as painter, photographer, printmaker etc are to be avoided. Much of my inspiration comes from exploring our beautiful countryside. I find that walking with a camera gives me a heightened awareness of my surroundings; the camera actually encourages me to really look and see that which might otherwise go un-noticed and I hope that this is reflected in my work. Barry Hitchcox |
