{{short description|British artist-photographer|bot=PearBOT 5}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{Infobox artist | name = Robert Darch | honorific_suffix = | image = Robert Darch, Artist-photographer.jpg | imagesize = | alt = | caption = Robert Darch | birth_name = | birth_date = {{birth year and age|1979}} | birth_place = Birmingham, England | death_date = | death_place = | education = | alma_mater = University of Wales, Newport Plymouth University | known_for = | field = Photography | training = | movement = | works = | patrons = | memorials = | awards = | spouse = | partner = }}
'''Robert Darch''' (born 1979) is a British artist-photographer.<ref name="Juxtapoz-2016">{{cite news|accessdate=2019-05-10| author=Elicia Epstein | title=The Work of Robert Darch |url=http://www.juxtapoz.com/news/photography/the-work-of-robert-darch/|website=Juxtapoz}}</ref> His first book, ''The Moor,'' was published in 2018.
==Life and work== Darch was born in Birmingham and grew up in Droitwich Spa.<ref name="Urbanautica-2018">{{cite web|accessdate=2019-05-10| author=Steve Bisson | title=Robert Darch. Connection With a Place|url=http://www.urbanautica.com/interview/robert-darch-connection-with-a-place/1021|website=Uranautica}}</ref> He studied Documentary Photography at University of Wales, Newport, graduating in 2004. He returned to study photography at Plymouth University in 2013 after a long period of illness, gaining a Masters in Photography & The Book and an MFA in Photographic Arts.<ref name="Plymouth University-2016">{{cite web|accessdate=2019-05-10| author=Alan Williams | title=Photographer's named amongst UK's best emerging talent. |url=http://www.plymouth.ac.uk/news/photographers-named-among-uks-best-emerging-talent|website=Plymouth University| date=4 October 2016 }}</ref>
Darch's work was included in the book ''Another Country: British Documentary Photography Since 1945'', by Gerry Badger and published by Thames & Hudson.<ref name="Another Country,-2022">{{cite web|accessdate=2019-05-10 | title=Another Country|url=https://thamesandhudson.com/another-country-british-documentary-photography-since-1945-9780500022177|website=Thames & Hudson}}</ref>
Darch resides in Devon, England, where he located the fictional town of Durlescombe, the setting for an on-going series exploring his familial attachment to this specific region of England.<ref name="It's Nice That,-2018">{{cite web|accessdate=2019-05-10| author=Ruby Boddington | title= Robert Darch explores identity and nostalgia through the fictitious town of Durlescombe|url=https://www.itsnicethat.com/articles/robert-darch-durlescombe-photgraphy-120618}}</ref>
''The Moor'' (2018) depicts a fictionalised dystopian future situated on the bleak moorland landscapes of Dartmoor, Devon.<ref name="Wallpaper Magazine-2019">{{cite web|accessdate=2019-05-10| author=Charlotte Jansen | title=A Dystopian vision of Dartmoor unfolds in Robert Darch's haunting photographs. |url=http://www.wallpaper.com/art/robert-darch-the-moor-book|website=Wallpaper Magazine| date=30 January 2019 }}</ref><ref name="It's Nice That-2018">{{cite web|accessdate=2019-05-10| author=Ruby Boddington | title=Robert Darch's series The Moor argues that we are already living in a Dystopia |url=https://www.itsnicethat.com/articles/robert-darch-the-moor-publication-photography-071218}}</ref><ref name="Foto Room-2019">{{cite web|accessdate=2019-05-10| website=Foto Room | title=Robert Darch constructs a fictional series set in the English Moors. |url=https://fotoroom.co/the-moor-robert-darch/}}</ref>
''Vale'' (2020) reflects on a long period of ill health Darch suffered in his twenties and the isolation and loneliness he experienced because of that. Whilst he was ill he would get lost in daydream and fiction, creating imaginary worlds to temper the isolation and sadness. ''Vale'' reflects on this lost time and imagines a fictional summer spent swimming in rivers and exploring woods, underscored by a sustained sense of eeriness.{{citation needed|date=January 2024}}
==Publications== ===Publications by Darch=== *''The Moor.'' Another Place, 2018. {{ISBN|9781999607746}}. Edition of 500 copies. *''Vale.'' LIDO, 2020. {{ISBN|9781838219505}}. Edition of 750 copies.
===Publications with contributions by Darch=== *''Portrait of Britain Vol 1.'' London: Hoxton Mini Press, 2018. {{ISBN|9781910566381}}. *''Portrait of Britain Vol 2.'' London: Hoxton Mini Press, 2019. {{ISBN|9781910566541}}. *''Portrait of Britain Vol 3.'' London: Hoxton Mini Press, 2020. {{ISBN|9781910566770}}. *''Facing Britain.'' Germany: Walther & Franz König, 2021. {{ISBN|9783753300627}}. *''Portrait of Britain Vol 4.'' London: Hoxton Mini Press, 2021. {{ISBN|9781914314131}}. *''Another Country: British Documentary Photography Since 1945.'' London: Thames & Hudson, 2022. {{ISBN|0500022178}}.
==Awards== *2016: Portrait Salon, for "Boys on the Estuary"<ref>{{cite news|accessdate=2019-06-17|title=Another shot: highlights from Portrait Salon 2016 – in pictures|url=https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/gallery/2016/nov/21/highlights-portrait-salon-2016-in-pictures|newspaper=The Guardian|date=21 November 2016|issn=0261-3077|via=www.theguardian.com}}</ref> *2017: Winner, single image in Life category, Renaissance Photography Prize<ref>{{cite news|accessdate=2019-06-17|title=Renaissance photography prize 2017 – in pictures|url=https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/gallery/2017/oct/12/renaissance-photography-prize-2017-in-pictures|newspaper=The Guardian|date=12 October 2017|issn=0261-3077|via=www.theguardian.com}}</ref> *2018: Portrait of Britain, ''British Journal of Photography''{{citation needed|date=June 2019}} *2019: Portrait of Britain, ''British Journal of Photography''{{citation needed|date=September 2019}} *2021: Portrait of Britain, ''British Journal of Photography''{{citation needed|date=September 2019}}
==Selected solo exhibitions==
*''Durlescombe,'' Kunsthalle Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany, April 2022.<ref>{{cite web|accessdate=2019-10-18|title=Robert Darch Durlescombe|url=https://www.kunsthalle-darmstadt.de/Program_3_1_pid_644.html|date=26 April 2022|website=Kunsthalle Darmstadt}}</ref>
==Selected group exhibitions==
*''Distinctly,'' Pingyao International Photography Festival, Pingyao, China, September 2018. Work by Darch and Martin Parr, Chris Killip, Daniel Meadows, John Myers, Markéta Luskačová, Tish Murtha, Ken Grant, Paul Seawright, Niall McDiarmid, Elaine Constantine, and Kirsty Mackay.<ref>{{cite web|accessdate=2019-06-17|title=Documentary photography stars in the Distinctly show|url=https://www.bjp-online.com/2018/08/distinctly/|date=15 August 2018|website=British Journal of Photography}}</ref> *''Distinctly,'' Look Photo Biennal, Liverpool, U.K., September 2019. Work by Darch and Martin Parr, Chris Killip, Daniel Meadows, John Myers, Markéta Luskačová, Tish Murtha, Ken Grant, Niall McDiarmid and Kirsty Mackay.<ref>{{cite web|accessdate=2019-10-18|title=Distinctly|url=https://www.artrabbit.com/events/distinctly|date=26 September 2019|website=Art Rabbit}}</ref> *''Facing Britain,'' Museum Goch, Germany, October 2020. Work by Darch and John Bulmer, Rob Bremner, Thom Corbishley, Anna Fox, Ken Grant, Judy Greenway, Mohamed Hassan, Paul Hill, David Hurn, Barry Lewis, Markéta Luskačová, Kirsty Mackay, Niall McDiarmid, Daniel Meadows, Peter Mitchell, Tish Murtha, John Myers, Jon Nicholson, Kevin O'Farrell, Niall McDiarmid, Martin Parr, Mark Pinder, Paul Reas, Simon Roberts, Syd Shelton, Dave Sinclair, Homer Sykes and Jon Tonks.<ref name="facing1">{{cite web|accessdate=2020-09-29|title=Facing Britain, British documentary photography since the 1960s|url=https://www.iks-medienarchiv.de/en/exhibition2.php?id=18|date=29 September 2020|website=Institut für Kunstdokumentation und Szenografie}}</ref> *''Turn to Return,'' Bristol Photo Festival, Bristol, U.K. September 2021. Work by Darch and Helen Sear.<ref>{{cite web|accessdate=2019-10-18|title=Turn to Return|url=http://www.bristolphotofestival.org/turn-to-retur-helen-sear-and-robert-darch/|date=26 September 2021|website=Bristol Photo Festival}}</ref> *''Facing Britain,'' Kunsthalle Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany, September 2021.<ref name="facing1"/> *''Facing Britain,'' Mönchehaus Museum Goslar, Goslar, Germany, February 2022.<ref name="facing1"/> *''Facing Britain,'' Museum for Photography Krakow, Krakow, Poland, June 2022.<ref name="facing1"/>
== References == {{reflist}}
== External links == *{{Official website|www.robertdarch.com}} {{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Darch, Robert}} Category:Photographers from Devon Category:British documentary photographers Category:Alumni of the University of Wales, Newport Category:1979 births Category:Living people Category:21st-century British photographers Category:Alumni of the University of Plymouth