Born in Middlesbrough, an industrial frontier town four miles from the working class town of South Bank, once a small ironworks town where my father came into this world and left this world.

Survived disturbing times at home and during the first few reckless years after leaving home at the age of sixteen.

Middlesbrough College of Art by the back door. Acquired a passion for photography and, with almost a lifetime of selfless help from my wife Joyce, was guided well away from what otherwise may have been a desperate future.

Royal College of Art, London, with help from my close friend, David Mulholland, painter and pub dependant, who was also known in later years as Dying Dave until sadly, his colourful life ended a few pints short of closing time. I will not forget his influence on my work, therefore my life.

Sixth and last founding member to join Amber films, an independent film and photographic group whose philosophy was to document working class culture, my culture. Recently deceased Murray Martin, originator of Amber, showed me an alternative way of life, one that I have lived ever since. I thanked him some years ago for his influence on my life, therefore my work.

With a sense of urgency and often a disregard for my wife and children, I continued photographing in Middlesbrough and South Bank, nowhere else. Early 1988, I accepted an invitation by Bill Buford, editor of Granta. The published piece later that year was titled 'The Pub' and ended with a paradox touching on why I photographed for more than twenty years in the steelworks, streets, but mostly in the pubs of two small communities four miles apart. - 'The truth might be that the camera is just an extension of my drinking arm.' - Two years later, taking such photographs stopped.

Working with and writing about years of pictures, of memory, has become a priority, a natural progression in my now sober obsession to understand more the values I live by.

By choice, no individual shows after 'Giro Corner' 1984, Side Gallery, Newcastle Upon Tyne, except 'Another Country' a major two man exhibition created with Chris Killip, shown at Serpentine Gallery London and National Museum of Photography, Bradford.

Selected group exhibitions shown in the following galleries,

After the Museum of Modern Art show, 1990, I turned down almost every offer to exhibit or publish, for the burden of an unspoken trust from those I photographed and the unacceptable press abuse of my more intimate pictures became too much. However, after eighteen years, I agreed to be part of, 'Three From Britain,' Rose Art Gallery, Santa Monica, 2008, a commercial exhibition with Chris Killip and Martin Parr. Following, I also agreed to nine of my photographs being shown as part of Martin Parr's collection of photography in Parrworld which opened in Haus Der Kunst, Munich, then toured to the Graphic Design Museum, Breda, then Jeu De Paume, Paris, ending at Baltic, Newcastle Upon Tyne.

By choice, none, other than exhibition catalogues, collection catalogues or reviews. There are some exceptions, the most important being Granta 25 published 1989 and, Granta 95 'Loved Ones' published 2007. The feature length piece in the latter issue, a short love story I wrote about my father, is illustrated with many of his family snapshots and five of my own pictures. This short story was also published, without pictures, in Granta's anthology of family writing, 'Are We Related,' published 2009.

National Museum of Photography, England and, Auckland City Art Gallery, New Zealand - These two public galleries bought slightly different versions of, 'Another Country,' an exhibition of more than 100 photographs, conceived and created with my friend, Chris Killip.

Two private collections, Wilson Centre for Photography, USA/UK, and Archive of Modern Conflict, London, each hold a substantial collection of my photographs.


	1947		Born in Middlesbrough, an industrial frontier town four miles from the working class town of South Bank, once a small ironworks town where my father came into this world and left this world.
	1960-1968		Survived disturbing times at home and during the first few reckless years after leaving home at the age of sixteen.
	1968-1972		Middlesbrough College of Art by the back door. Acquired a passion for photography and, with almost a lifetime of selfless help from my wife Joyce, was guided well away from what otherwise may have been a desperate future.
	1972-1974		Royal College of Art, London, with help from my close friend, David Mulholland, painter and pub dependant, who was also known in later years as Dying Dave until sadly, his colourful life ended a few pints short of closing time. I will not forget his influence on my work, therefore my life.
	1974-1981		Sixth and last founding member to join Amber films, an independent film and photographic group whose philosophy was to document working class culture, my culture. Recently deceased Murray Martin, originator of Amber, showed me an alternative way of life, one that I have lived ever since. I thanked him some years ago for his influence on my life, therefore my work.
	1981-1990		With a sense of urgency and often a disregard for my wife and children, I continued photographing in Middlesbrough and South Bank, nowhere else. Early 1988, I accepted an invitation by Bill Buford, editor of Granta. The published piece later that year was titled 'The Pub' and ended with a paradox touching on why I photographed for more than twenty years in the steelworks, streets, but mostly in the pubs of two small communities four miles apart. - 'The truth might be that the camera is just an extension of my drinking arm.' - Two years later, taking such photographs stopped.
	1990-2009		Working with and writing about years of pictures, of memory, has become a priority, a natural progression in my now sober obsession to understand more the values I live by.
	1990-2009
	. Exhibitions .
	By choice, no individual shows after 'Giro Corner' 1984, Side Gallery, Newcastle Upon Tyne, except 'Another Country' a major two man exhibition created with Chris Killip, shown at Serpentine Gallery London and National Museum of Photography, Bradford.
	.
	Selected group exhibitions shown in the following galleries,

	Photographers Gallery, London. Serpentine Gallery, London. Victoria and Albert Museum, London. Hayward Gallery, London. Forum Stadtpark, Gratz, Austria. Museum fur Gestaltung, Zuric, Switzerland. First Houston Photo Festival, USA. Barbican, London.Royal Academy of Arts, London. Museum of Modern Art, New York, 'British Photography From The Thatcher Years' 1990.
	.
	After the Museum of Modern Art show, 1990, I turned down almost every offer to exhibit or publish, for the burden of an unspoken trust from those I photographed and the unacceptable press abuse of my more intimate pictures became too much. However, after eighteen years, I agreed to be part of, 'Three From Britain,' Rose Art Gallery, Santa Monica, 2008, a commercial exhibition with Chris Killip and Martin Parr. Following, I also agreed to nine of my photographs being shown as part of Martin Parr's collection of photography in Parrworld which opened in Haus Der Kunst, Munich, then toured to the Graphic Design Museum, Breda, then Jeu De Paume, Paris, ending at Baltic, Newcastle Upon Tyne.
	. Publications
	By choice, none, other than exhibition catalogues, collection catalogues or reviews. There are some exceptions, the most important being Granta 25 published 1989 and, Granta 95 'Loved Ones' published 2007. The feature length piece in the latter issue, a short love story I wrote about my father, is illustrated with many of his family snapshots and five of my own pictures. This short story was also published, without pictures, in Granta's anthology of family writing, 'Are We Related,' published 2009.
	. Public Collections
	Museum of Modern Art, New York. Victoria and Albert Museum, London. Arts Council, England. San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. Pompidou Centre, Paris.
	.
	National Museum of Photography, England and, Auckland City Art Gallery, New Zealand - These two public galleries bought slightly different versions of, 'Another Country,' an exhibition of more than 100 photographs, conceived and created with my friend, Chris Killip.
	.
	Two private collections, Wilson Centre for Photography, USA/UK, and Archive of Modern Conflict, London, each hold a substantial collection of my photographs.
	.
	Graham Smith 2009