154 - Craig Easton
© Craig Easton
Craig Easton’s work is deeply rooted in the documentary tradition. He shoots long-term documentary projects exploring issues around social policy, identity and a sense of place. Known for his intimate portraits and expansive landscapes, his work regularly combines these elements with reportage approaches to storytelling, often working collaboratively with others to incorporate words, pictures and audio in a research-based practice that weaves a narrative between contemporary experience and history.
Craig has made work about women working in the UK fish processing industry (Fisherwomen); about the inter-generational nature of poverty and economic hardship in Northern England (Thatchers Children); about social deprivation, housing, unemployment and immigration in Blackburn; and about how the situation in which young people throughout the UK live, influences their aspirations.
A passionate believer in working collaboratively with others, Craig conceived and led the critically acclaimed SIXTEEN project with sixteen leading photographers exploring the hopes, ambitions and fears of sixteen-year-olds all around the UK. This Arts Council funded project was exhibited in over 20 exhibitions throughout 2019/2020 culminating in three simultaneous shows in London.
Craig is a regular visiting lecturer at universities and runs workshops both in the UK and internationally.
In addition to his personal documentary and art projects, he continues to shoot for editorial & advertising clients worldwide including The National Health Service, Visit Britain, Land Rover, Heathrow Airport, Wagamama, Mazda and John Lewis.
Craig was recently named as Photographer of The Year 2021 in the annual Sony World Photography Awards for his project Bank Top, shot in Blackburn in the north of England.
On episode 154, Craig discusses, among other things:
His recent Sony Awards win
The winning project, Bank Top
Large format film
His early years on The Independent newspaper
Commissioned work
Referenced:
“As with all documentary photography - stuff that’s worthwhile - it just takes time. It’s a function of time. Go and spend some time there. I didn’t take pictures for ages and ages. I was in the street talking to people…”
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