DAVID BATE – artist, theorist and teacher based in London, UK.
David Bate is widely known for his writings, photographic projects and education work. His many publications, exhibitions, public lectures and critical writings on the theory, history and social practice of photography are complemented by workshops, summer schools and festival presentations. Recent work has addressed cultural memory, migration, Ai, surrealism and the affective dimensions of contemporary photographic culture.
His work focuses on the critical interactions between the visual image, subjectivity and society. Educated at the Polytechnic of Central London on the famous BA (Hons) Film and Photographic Arts course, he later took the MA Social History of Art at Leeds University, where he also completed a PhD in the Fine Art Department. He has lectured and presented work all over the world. In 2018 he was recipient of the Royal Photographic Society Award for Education. Currently Professor of Photography at the University of Westminster, London, UK, he is also a co-founder of the London collective art gallery Accident and Five Years, and co-editor of the photography journal Photographies.
Publications includes the monograph books:
Photography After Postmodernism, Routledge, 2023
Photography: Art Essentials, Thames & Hudson, 2022 (also in Spanish, French, German, Chinese and Italian)
Photography as Critical Practice: Notes on Otherness, London: Intellect, 2020.
Photography: Key Concepts, London: Bloomsbury, 2016 & Routledge, 2019. (Also in Japanese, Italian, Turkish, Taiwan Solvenian and Chinese.
Art Photography, London: Tate Publications, 2015. (Also in Italian)
Zone, London: Artwords, 2012.
Photography and Surrealism: Sexuality, Colonialism and Social Dissent, London: IB Tauris, 2004.
Zero Culture, London: Danielle Arnaud gallery, 2000.
Writings are featured in many journals and magazines including: Afterimage, Angelaki, Art Monthly, Contemporary, Creative Camera, Eikon, Foam, Hijacked, History of Photography, Hyperfoto, Parachute, Photographies, Photoworks, Portfolio Magazine, Sirp, Source and Third Text.
Artworks are collected internationally andwidely exhibited, including:
Archetype (Brussels), Danielle Arnaud (London), Belfast Exposed (N Ireland), Camerawork (London), City Gallery (Tallinn), Dazibao (Montreal, Canada), Derby Photography Festival (Derby, UK) , Diemar/Noble Gallery(London), Focal Point Gallery (Southend), Freemantle Art Centre (Perth, Australia), f. Stop Gallery (Bath, UK),Hoopers Gallery (London), Illegaard Gallery (Tartu), Impressions Gallery (UK), Mercer Union (Toronto, Canada),Metro Gallery (London), Museum of Contemporary Photography (Chicago, USA), Museu d'Art (Girona, Spain), Photography Biennale (Istanbul), Photographer’s Gallery (London), Photography Biennale (Lorient, France),Pingyao International Photography Festival (China), Watershed (Bristol), Zacheta/PhotoArts Festival (Warsaw, Poland), Zone Gallery (Newcastle-upon-Tyne, UK).
For all inquiries about artworks or texts not shown or listed on the website please use the Contact form.