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Matthew Murray

Senior Lecturer in Editorial and Advertising Photography

Matthew Murray is an award-winning artist using photography as his chosen medium. With over 30 years of industry experience within publishing, exhibitions, advertising, editorials and commissions from a variety of leading editorials and high-end global advertising agencies.

Biography

Matthew has worked with many of the most creative Art Directors and Creative Directors, Trevor Beattie, Graham Cappi, James Gillham, Richard Flintham, Al Moseley, David Hellqvist and Terry Jones. Matthew has extensive experience of working with some of the worlds leading advertising agencies Saatchi & Saatchi, M&C Saatchi, TBWA, VCCP, Leo Burnett, BBDO/CLM, Paris, BWM, Sydney. Editorials clients VICE, i-D Magazine, Port Magazine, Independent, Guardian, Dazed Digital.

Matthew’s personal work is represented by ElliottHalls Gallery, Amsterdam, which is one of Europe’s leading exponents of contemporary art photography. His work has been exhibited nationally and internationally in both solo and group exhibitions, Arles Rencontre Arles Festival France, National Portrait Gallery, London, The New Art Gallery, Walsall, Unseen Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Royal West of England Academy, Bristol, The Photographers’ Gallery London, Paris Photo – Le Carrousel Du Loure, Paris, ElliottHalls Gallery, Amsterdam, Huis Marseille, Amsterdam.

His work is also included in the permanent collections at the Victoria & Albert Museum (London), The Martin Parr Foundation (Bristol), The Royal Library of the Netherlands, The Hague and private collections.

 

Qualifications

  • PhD: Photography, University of Gloucestershire, 2025
  • PGCAP, Post Graduate Certificate in Academic Practice, University of Gloucestershire, 2015
  • Masters: Visual Communication (Pass with distinction), Birmingham City University, 1998

Awards

2019 – Tokyo International Photography Awards, Book/Nature, Silver Award – Saddleworth: Responding To A Landscape.

2018 – International Photography Awards, Professional Book, Monograph, Winner -Saddleworth: Responding To A Landscape.

2018 – Arts Council of England, Creative Development Award.

2016 – International Photography Awards, Honourable Mention in 4 separate categories.

2016 – Arts Council of England, Grants for the Arts Award, Saddleworth: Responding To A Landscape.

2015 – The Association Of Photographers, Open Awards Stills and Series Category, Finalist.

2014 – The Association Of Photographers, Open Awards Category, Winner.

2014 – The International Photography Awards, Honourable Mention in 3 separate categories.

2012 – The International Street Photography Awards, Finalist.

2006 – Arts Council of England, Artistic Development Award.

2001 – The Association of Photographers Awards, Winner Lifestyle category.

1998 – The Observer John Hodge Award, Shortlisted.

Gallery Representation www.elliotthalls.com

2017 – Present ElliottHalls Gallery, Amsterdam, The Netherlands www.elliotthalls.com

Membership of professional bodies

Fellow of the Higher Education Academy

Teaching & Research

Teaching

When teaching I am open minded, adaptable, practical, embrace creative ideas, encourage freethinking amongst students, and encourage engagement within the group. I promote the importance of research and experimentation within set photography briefs and students’ personal work.

Research

As an artist using photography as my preferred medium I am interested in depicting the landscape through what I feel rather than what I see. My research investigates a personal expression of the landscape and the interface between two bodies of landscape work; Saddleworth: Responding To A Landscape produced through an exploration of therapeutic photography and Arenig Fawr looking at historical processes and the final image as an artefact and the comparison of digital v’s early analogue approaches. My research, exhibitions and publications is funded by myself, Arts Council England and the University of Gloucestershire Research fund.

Publications

More publications from Matthew Murray can be found in the Research Repository.

External responsibilities

Subject for media interview

Arts Council Funding, Gallery Practice, working within Advertising, Photographing large scale advertising campaigns, working with galleries, being represented by galleries, working with students.