{{short description|British photographer|bot=PearBOT 5}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} '''John Darwell''' (born 1955) is a British photographer.

==Life and career== Darwell was born in Bolton, Lancashire,<ref name="clarke_redeye">Stephen Clarke, "[https://www.redeye.org.uk/opinion/john-darwell-ddsbs-discarded-dog-sht-bags-review-stephen-clarke John Darwell: DDSBs (Discarded Dog Sh*t Bags)]", Redeye, 27 August 2013.</ref> in 1955. He has a BA in photography from Manchester Polytechnic, and a PhD from the University of Sunderland. (His thesis was titled ''A Black Dog Came Calling: A Visualisation of Depression through Contemporary Photography''.)<ref name="land2bio">"[http://land2.leeds.ac.uk/people/darwell/ John Darwell]", Land2, University of Leeds.</ref> He is a Reader in photography at the University of Cumbria.<ref>[http://www.cumbria.ac.uk/Courses/SubjectAreas/CreativeArts/Meetthestaff/JohnDarwell.aspx Staff page] for John Darwell, University of Cumbria.</ref>

As a photographer, Darwell "roots himself in neglected landscapes".<ref name="clarke_redeye" /> His early work, published in ''Working Lives'' and ''The Big Ditch'', was in black and white, but he moved to colour soon thereafter and has not used black and white since.<ref>Paul Herrmann, "Introduction"; John Darwell, ''Committed to Memory'' (Carlisle, Cumbria: Tullie House Museum and Art Gallery, 2007), no page number.</ref>

''Jimmy Jock, Albert and the Six Sided Clock'' (published in 1993) shows the Liverpool docklands at a time when "the amount of cargo passing through the docks" was higher than ever before, but when, thanks to mechanization, everything was run by fewer than 600 men, <!-- "men": in the text, "less than 600 men" --> down from over 20,000.<ref>John Darwell, untitled afterword to ''Jimmy Jock, Albert and the Six Sided Clock''.</ref>

For three weeks in late 1999, Darwell photographed within the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone: Pripyat, numerous villages, a landfill site, and people continuing to live within the Zone. This resulted in an exhibition and book titled ''Legacy''.<ref>Phil Daoust, "[https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2001/mar/12/artsfeatures2 Atomic dustbin]", ''The Guardian'', 12 March 2001.</ref>

The first pyre intended to check the British outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in early 2001 took place very close to Darwell's house in Cumbria. Darwell devoted a year to photographing this and its aftermath; the resulting book, ''Dark Days'', "catalogues the destruction that consumed local farming communities and shut Cumbria off from the outside world".<ref>Annie Kelly, "[https://www.theguardian.com/society/2007/apr/04/footandmouthdisease.guardiansocietysupplement Journal of the plague year]", ''The Guardian'', 4 April 2007.</ref>

''DDSBs: Discarded Dog Sh*t<!-- Don't "debowdlerize" this. It really is spelled "Sh*t", with an asterisk. --> Bags'' shows "a typology of discarded plastic bags containing dog muck", photographs Darwell presents "as evidence of our half-hearted commitment to the ecological cause".<ref name="clarke_redeye" />

===Books by Darwell=== *''Working Lives.'' Stockport, Ches.: Stockport Museums and Gallery Service, 1986. {{ISBN|0-905164-36-9}}. With a foreword by John Baker, an introduction by Frank Galvin, and additional photographs from the Stockport Museum archive. *''The Big Ditch: The Manchester Ship Canal Seen through the Camera of John Darwell.'' Chorley, Lancs: Countryside Publications, 1987. {{ISBN|0-86157-250-5}}. Photographs of the Manchester Ship Canal. *''Jimmy Jock, Albert and the Six Sided Clock.'' Manchester: Cornerhouse, 1993. {{ISBN|978-0-948797-62-0}}. Photographs of the Port of Liverpool. *''Legacy: Photographs inside the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone.'' Stockport: Dewi Lewis, 2001. {{ISBN|978-1-899235-58-2}}.<ref group="n" name="dl_pair">Dewi Lewis's page about the two books by John Darwell it has published is [http://www.dewilewispublishing.com/PHOTOGRAPHY/JOHN_DARWELL.html here] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160307164741/http://www.dewilewispublishing.com/PHOTOGRAPHY/JOHN_DARWELL.html |date=2016-03-07 }}.</ref> *''Dark Days.'' Stockport: Dewi Lewis, 2007. {{ISBN|978-1-904587-42-2}}. With essays by Liz Wells, Roger Breeze, David Black and Alison Nordström.<ref group="n" name="dl_pair" /> *''Committed to Memory.'' Carlisle, Cumbria: Tullie House Museum and Art Gallery, 2007. {{ISBN|0-907852-17-3}}. With an introduction by Paul Herrmann and an essay by Simon Grennan. *''DDSBs: Discarded Dog Sh*t<!-- Don't "debowdlerize" this. It really is spelled "Sh*t", with an asterisk. --> Bags.'' Self-published / mynewtpress, 2013. Edition of 200 copies.<ref group="n">The photographer/publisher's information about this is [http://mynewtpress.com/index.php?r=site/book/view&id=2 here].</ref><ref group="n">The book is presented [http://josefchladek.com/book/john_darwell_-_ddsbs_-_discarded_dog_sht_bags here] by Josef Chladek.</ref> `

===Booklets and zines by Darwell=== *''(h)arris: Images from the Western Isles.'' Democratic Book no.&nbsp;9. Cologne: Democratic Books, 2004. A PDF that is freely downloadable from the publisher's website.<ref group="n">The publisher's website: [http://www.democraticbooks.org democraticbooks.org]. If this is unavailable, the PDF remains available from [https://web.archive.org/web/20060713193437/http://www.democraticbooks.org/download/%28h%29arris.pdf here], as archived on 13 July 2006 by the Wayback Machine.</ref> *''Sheffield: Tinsley Viaduct.'' Southport, Merseyside: Café Royal Books, 2013.<ref group="n">Café Royal Books' page about ''Sheffield: Tinsley Viaduct'' is [http://www.caferoyalbooks.com/sheffield-tinsley-viaduct-john-darwell-290813/ here].</ref> *''Sheffield: Meadowhall, Hyde Park, Ponds Forge.'' Southport, Merseyside: Café Royal Books, 2013.<ref group="n">Café Royal Books' page about ''Sheffield: Meadowhall, Hyde Park, Ponds Forge'' is [http://www.caferoyalbooks.com/archive-1/#/sheffield-meadowhall-hyde-park-ponds-forge-john-darwell-071013/ here] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924114428/http://www.caferoyalbooks.com/archive-1/#/sheffield-meadowhall-hyde-park-ponds-forge-john-darwell-071013/ |date=2015-09-24 }}.</ref> *''Grangemouth and the Forth Estuary.'' Southport, Merseyside: Café Royal Books, 2014.<ref group="n">Café Royal Books' page about ''Grangemouth and the Forth Estuary'' is [http://www.caferoyalbooks.com/grangemouth-and-the-forth-estuary-john-darwell-060214/ here].</ref> *''Desert States: Photographs from New Mexico, Arizona, Utah and Nevada.'' Chronicles no.&nbsp;6. Part of Chronicles set 2. Taipei: The Velvet Cell, 2014.<ref group="n">The Velvet Cell's page about Chronicles set 2, including ''Desert States'', was archived [https://web.archive.org/web/20140712104903/http://www.thevelvetcell.com/Set-II-006-010 here] by the Wayback Machine on 12 July 2014.</ref> *''Chernobyl.'' Vol 1. Chronicles no.&nbsp;13. Taipei: The Velvet Cell, 2014.<ref group="n" name="chronicles3">The Velvet Cell's page about Chronicles set 3, including ''Desert States'', was archived [https://web.archive.org/web/20140823154508/http://www.thevelvetcell.com/ here] by the Wayback Machine on 23 August 2014.</ref> *''Chernobyl.'' Vol 2. Chronicles no.&nbsp;14. Taipei: The Velvet Cell, 2014.<ref group="n" name="chronicles3" /> *''Sheffield: Things Seen whilst Wandering around Attercliffe.'' Southport, Merseyside: Café Royal Books, 2014.<ref group="n">Café Royal Books' page about ''Sheffield: Things Seen whilst Wandering around Attercliffe'' is [http://www.caferoyalbooks.com/new-page-3/ here].</ref> *''Sheffield: The Remains of Some Buildings around the Don Valley.'' Southport, Merseyside: Café Royal Books, 2014.<ref group="n">Café Royal Books' page about ''Sheffield: The Remains of Some Buildings around the Don Valley'' is [http://www.caferoyalbooks.com/sheffield-the-remains-of-some-buildings-around-the-don-valley-john-darwell-091014/ here].</ref> *''Sheffield: In Transition.'' Southport, Merseyside: Café Royal Books, 2014.<ref group="n">Café Royal Books' page about ''Sheffield in Transition'' is [http://www.caferoyalbooks.com/sheffield-in-transition-john-darwell-181214/ here].</ref> *''The Dark River: Bolton — Farnworth.'' Southport, Merseyside: Café Royal Books, 2015. Edition of 150 copies.<ref group="n">Café Royal Books' page about ''The Dark River: Bolton — Farnworth'' is [http://www.caferoyalbooks.com/john-darwell-the-dark-river-bolton-farnworth-291015-500/ here].</ref> *''The Dark River: Kearsley — Clifton.'' Southport, Merseyside: Café Royal Books, 2015. Edition of 150 copies.<ref group="n">Café Royal Books' page about ''The Dark River: Kearsley — Clifton'' is [http://www.caferoyalbooks.com/the-dark-river-kearsley-clifton-john-darwell-031215-500/ here].</ref> *''The Dark River: Kearsley Power Station.'' Southport, Merseyside: Café Royal Books, 2016. Edition of 150 copies.<ref group="n">Café Royal Books' page about ''The Dark River: Kearsley Power Station'' is [http://www.caferoyalbooks.com/the-dark-river-kearsley-power-station-john-darwell-240316-500/ here].</ref> *''The Dark River: Clifton — Death Valley — Agecroft.'' Southport, Merseyside: Café Royal Books, 2016. Edition of 150 copies.<ref group="n">Café Royal Books' page about ''The Dark River: Clifton — Death Valley — Agecroft'' is [http://www.caferoyalbooks.com/the-dark-river-clifton-death-valley-agecroft-john-darwell-300616-600/ here].</ref> *''The Dark River: Agecroft — Salford.'' Southport, Merseyside: Café Royal Books, 2016. Edition of 150 copies. Some copies are accompanied by a separate essay by Paul Herrmann, "Reflections on Dark River."<ref group="n">Café Royal Books' page about ''The Dark River: Agecroft — Salford'' is [http://www.caferoyalbooks.com/#/the-dark-river-agecroft-salford-john-darwell-290916-600/ here].</ref>

==Solo exhibitions== *''Cityscapes''. Brewery Arts Centre, Kendal, Cumbria, 1984.<ref name="land2bio" /> *''Landscapes''. Stockport Art Gallery, Stockport, 1984.<ref name="land2bio" /> *''Working Lives''. Stockport Art Gallery, Stockport; Side Gallery, Newcastle upon Tyne, 1986. Bonnington Gallery, Trent Polytechnic, Nottingham, 1987.<ref name="land2bio" /> *''The Big Ditch''. Viewpoint Gallery, Salford, Manchester, 1986.<ref name="land2bio" /> *''Regeneration''. Untitled Gallery, Sheffield, 1989.<ref name="land2bio" /> *''Borderland''. Manor Gallery, Carlisle, Cumbria, 1989.<ref name="land2bio" /> *''The Big Ditch''. Blackburn Museum and Art Gallery, Blackburn; Merseyside Maritime Museum, Liverpool, 1990. Castle Park Arts Centre, Frodsham, Cheshire, 1991. Calderdale Industrial Museum, Halifax, Yorkshire; Manor Gallery, Carlisle, 1992. Williamson Art Gallery, Birkenhead, 1993. Duncan of Jordanstone Gallery, Dundee, 1994.<ref name="land2bio" /> *''Jimmy Jock, Albert and the Six Sided Clock.'' Merseyside Maritime Museum, Liverpool. May&ndash;September 1993.<ref name="land2bio" /><ref>John Darwell, ''''Jimmy Jock, Albert and the Six Sided Clock'', copyright page.</ref> Fotonoviembre, Centro de Fotografía Isla de Tenerife, 1995.<ref name="land2bio" /> *''Scratching the Surface''. Tullie House Museum and Art Gallery, Carlisle, 1994.<ref name="land2bio" /> *''Workplace''. Durham Art Gallery, Durham, 1996.<ref name="land2bio" /> *''In Isolation''. Euston railway station escalators, London, 1996.<ref name="land2bio" /> *''Where it all began''. Centro Colombo Americano, Medellín, Colombia, 1996.<ref name="land2bio" /> *''By Association.'' Mill Gallery, Carlisle, 1997. Landscapes associated with nuclear testing and energy generation.<ref name="land2bio" /><ref name="fission">"[https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/fission-for-compliments-1244438.html Fission for compliments]", ''The Independent'', 9 August 1997.</ref> *''First and Last.'' Viewpoint Gallery, Salford, 1997. Rituals in Japan to commemorate the atomic bombs.<ref name="land2bio" /><ref name="fission" /> *''By Association.'' Folly Gallery, Lancaster; Tom Blau Gallery, London, 2001<ref name="land2bio" /> *''Legacy''. Tullie House Museum and Art Gallery, Carlisle, 2001.<ref name="land2bio" /> *''Consequences''. Gallery Oldham, 2002.<ref name="land2bio" /> *''After Schwitters – Kurt Schwitters and the Merzbarn Conference''. Cumbria, 2003.<ref name="land2bio" /> *''h)arris''. Installation sited at 15 rail stations along Cumbrian Coast Line, 2004.<ref name="land2bio" /> *''A Black Dog Came Calling and Melancholy Objects''. Institute of Psychiatry Gallery, King's College London. November 2005 &ndash; February 2006.<ref>Exhibition notice, Institute of Psychiatry. [https://web.archive.org/web/20051125021914/http://www.iop.kcl.ac.uk/iopweb/events/?event=237 Archived] by the Wayback Machine on 25 November 2005.</ref><ref>Mark Drinkwater, "[https://www.theguardian.com/society/2005/nov/03/socialcare.arts Exhibition focuses on 'journey through depression']", ''The Guardian,'' 3 November 2005.</ref> *''Committed to Memory.'' Tullie House Museum and Art Gallery, Carlisle. May&ndash;July 2007.<ref>Natasha Howes, "[https://www.redeye.org.uk/news/john-darwell-exhibition-and-events John Darwell exhibition and events]", Redeye, 11 May 2011.</ref> *''Working Lives.'' Stockport Art Gallery, February&ndash;March 2011. Darwell's photographs from 1985.<ref>"[http://www.culture24.org.uk/art/photography-and-film/art348791 John Darwell's photographs of forgotten Stockport show a town and industry in transition]", Culture24.</ref> *''Dogs in Cages''. Look 11 International Photography Festival, ''Confined.'' The Bluecoat, Liverpool, May&ndash;July 2011.<ref>[http://www.thebluecoat.org.uk/events/view/events/1001 Look 11: International Photography Festival - Confined], Bluecoat.</ref><ref>Ian Jackson, "[http://www.artinliverpool.com/look11-confined-at-the-bluecoat/ Look11: 'Confined' at the Bluecoat]". Art in Liverpool, 13 May 2011.</ref> *''After Schwitters''. Hatton Gallery, University of Newcastle. February&ndash;April 2013.<ref>Exhibition notice, Hatton Gallery. [https://web.archive.org/web/20131020034046/http://www.twmuseums.org.uk/hatton-gallery/whats-on/exhibitions/john-darwell-after-schwitters.html Archived] by the Wayback Machine on 20 October 2013.</ref><ref>"[https://www.redeye.org.uk/exhibitions/after-schwitters After Schwitters]", Redeye.</ref><ref>[http://www.photomonitor.co.uk/2014/01/after-schwitters-an-interview-with-john-darwell/ John Darwell interviewed by Walter Lewis] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150907164147/http://www.photomonitor.co.uk/2014/01/after-schwitters-an-interview-with-john-darwell/ |date=2015-09-07 }}, Photomonitor.</ref>

==Public collections== * Victoria and Albert Museum, London<ref name="land2bio" /><ref>"[https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O195278/the-big-ditch-looking-at-photograph-darwell-john/ The Big Ditch: Looking at No. 9 Dock from Trafford Wharf; The Big Ditch]", Victoria and Albert Museum.</ref> * King's College / Maudsley Hospital Trust, London<ref name="land2bio" /> * British Film Institute, London<ref name="land2bio" /> * Site Gallery, Sheffield<ref name="land2bio" /> * National Media Museum / Sun Life Collection, Bradford<ref name="land2bio" /> * Merseyside Maritime Museum, Liverpool<ref name="land2bio" /> * Tullie House Museum and Art Gallery, Carlisle<ref name="land2bio" /> * Manchester Art Gallery<ref name="land2bio" /> * Arts Council North West, Manchester<ref name="land2bio" /> * Stockport Art Gallery, Stockport<ref name="land2bio" /> * Viewpoint Gallery, Salford<ref name="land2bio" /> * Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York<ref name="land2bio" /><ref>[http://www.metmuseum.org/search-results?ft=john+darwell&x=0&y=0 Search results], Metropolitan Museum of Art.</ref> * Centro de Fotografía Isla de Tenerife<ref name="land2bio" /><ref>"[http://www.museosdetenerife.org/carabus/cibercarabus.php?ID=2603&al_id_mus=10 Warehouse. Port of Liverpool / Serie 'Jimmy Jock, Albert and the Six Sided Clock']", Museos de Tenerife.</ref>

==Notes== <references group="n" />

==References== <references />

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Darwell, John}} Category:Photographers from Cumbria Category:Photography in Ukraine Category:Alumni of Manchester Metropolitan University Category:Alumni of the University of Sunderland Category:Academics of the University of Cumbria Category:Living people Category:1955 births Category:People from Bolton