David Barnes

David’s documentary photography, film and video work has been exhibited and published internationally- including in Germany, Poland, France, Italy and Lithuania. He is actively engaged in a wide range of commissions across various platforms and media. These include collaborations with national and international gallery, research and education partners, local authorities, museums and community groups. His work is held in private and public collections including the documentary photography collections of the National Library of Wales and Ffotogallery. He was the winner of the Photography Prize in ‘Wales Artist of the Year’ 2013 for his long term project “King Tide” and “Best Welsh Documentary Film” in Wales International Documentary Festival 2017 widf.info ( producer/ director of documentary feature film “The King and Dai” ) His most recent project ‘in solution’, a epic study of contemporary life in Wales, combining photography, video and installation work, has been widely exhibited, most recently in a major solo exhibition at Ffotogallery, Turner House, Cardiff in October 2016. David’s teaching is underpinned by his expertise in the world of commercial and editorial photography, having produced imagery for national advertising campaigns and annual reports, as well as for charities and NGO’S. He has been regularly commissioned by magazines including Guardian Weekend, Observer Magazine, Financial Times Weekend, Telegraph Magazine and Independent on Sunday New Review for nearly 20 years. In addition to this he has worked as a freelance image consultant and picture researcher, specialising in digital content management and intellectual property. In the early 2000’s he co-developed and ran a boutique photography library supplying images internationally and has been an active member of the National Union of Journalists since 1998. David’s recent work in film includes observational documentary features and multi-screen video production. In 2016 he completed a major collaborative commission on the community of Bardsey Island in north Wales with Dr Alice Entwistle, which was exhibited in Oriel Plas Glyn y Weddw, Pwllheli. Credits also include originating, researching and directing documentary shorts and the production of corporate, advertising and editorial video for clients including Guardian Online. Alongside his work in industry, David has been a fractional lecturer on the Documentary Photography course since 2006, specialising in professional practice but also with an interest in applied research and theory. He is module leader of 4 modules on the course. He has international lecturing and workshop experience, ranging from community projects to MFA, including developing, writing, leading and assessing HE modules.

Recent Public Engagement Activities and Esteem Indicators:

Conference Paper – Association for Photography in Higher Education Conference, Norwich Uni of the Arts 2017
Organiser ‘Space and Order’ Conference 2017 European Centre Documentary Research USW 2017
http://photographic.research.southwales.ac.uk/events/2017/jun/01/space-and-order-symposium/
Conference Paper- Association for Welsh Writing in English Annual Conference 2017. Gregynog Hall Powys 2017
Winner ‘Best Welsh Documentary Film’ Wales International Documentary Festival. widf.info 2017
Visiting Lecturer- Photography BA and MFA, Ulster Uni, School of Art, Belfast. 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017
David Barnes in conversation with Professor Daniel G Williams. Ffotogallery, Turner House Nov 2016
BBC Wales interview – Wales Arts Show re- exhibition ‘in solution’ Oct 2016
Conference Paper- ‘Raymond Williams Now’ Radical Studies Network Conference. Manchester University 2015
Conference Paper- Association for Welsh Writing in English Annual Conference 2015. Gregynog Hall Powys 2015
Lecturer/ Programme Leader – Documentary Photography Module, Vilnius College of Design. Lithuania 2014
Visiting Artist/ Reviewer- Independent AIR workshop (Aarhus European Capital of Culture) Silkeborg. Denmark 2014
Conference Keynote- ‘Home-works’ Lens 13 Conference. National Library Wales, Aberystwyth 2013
Visiting Lecturer- Photographic Practice BA, Cardiff School of Art and Design. Bridgend 2011
Co-curator ‘Distant Horizons- Contemporary French Documentary Photography’. 3rd Floor Gallery, Cardiff 2013
Co-curator ‘WHAT’S NEW/UK PHOTOGRAPHY#2’. RizHoma Gallery, Milan, Italy 2013
Workshop leader ‘Stats in sound’ Multi-disciplinary schools project. Community Music Wales 2012
Featured Artist, interview film- Lightbox, Ffotogallery/ WJEC/ National Museum Wales educational project 2012
BBC Wales interview (Jamie Owen Show) re David’s two exhibitions at Diffusion Photography festival 2013
David Barnes in conversation with Dr Paul Cabuts & Ken Grant – Ffotogallery, Turner House 2011

Raymond Williams Society, UK
National Union of Journalists, UK
Association for Photography in Higher Education (APHE) UK
Society of Photographic Education (SPE) USA
Ffotogallery Wales, UK

Research has evolved from a background in documentary photography and film to engage with a wide range of interests in contemporary art and writing. Areas of recent focus include the work of the writer Raymond Williams, the rural experience of space and place and the cultural politics of community in south Wales. His research on ‘small nation’ identity and representations of the south Wales valleys and Welsh marches is underpinned by his PhD project “Small Stories; Photographer and Community Practice in Wales”.

Grants awarded:
Ffotogallery Commission 2013-2015
Arts Council Wales, Major Project Production award 2013
Arts Council Wales, Major Project Production award 2011
Wales Arts International award 2012
Wales Arts International award 2011

Research groups:
European Centre for Documentary Research (eCDR), USW
Centre for the Study of Media and Culture in Small Nations, USW

PhD project – Small Stories; Photographer and Community Practice in Wales