Ray Newsam
March Exhibition
Career, Qualifications and Exhibitions
I have been employed for over 40 years as a research scientist specialising in microscopy, and have also pursued a part-time career in other aspects of photography including commercial, press, portrait and wedding photography. I have had images published in publications ranging from Creative Camera and New Scientist to Woman’s Weekly and the local press. My working life has been defined by producing images of the highest possible detail, and this has been echoed in the sort of landscapes I used to do, but now I want to push in the other direction and see how far away I can get from a typical, detailed view of something and still have it recognisable (or not, but still with an interesting image). The photograph of a gull has been the starting point for this – it is only in focus at the very tip of the near wing, movement has caused it to be blur to near transparent, it has none of the features that would be found in a book of bird identification, but is still undoubtedly a gull. The use of digital imaging and printing has opened up opportunities and processes that were not available with traditional film and paper chemistry that make for interesting opportunities in this area.
1966 – 2008 Microscopist in the pharmaceutical industry (to 1973) and at the University of Kent, Canterbury
1985-1990 (part-time) Tutor in Photography, Kent Adult Education Service
1970 – HNC in Medical Laboratory Sciences, Bromley College
1979 – BA Hons from The Open University, in Biological and Environmental Sciences including a module on Art and the Environment
1988 – Contribution to Tutor’s exhibition, Westmount AEC, Dover
1990 – ‘25 Micrographs’ and ‘Life in The Oaks’, two exhibitions as part of the Silver Jubilee celebrations of the University of Kent
1995 – ‘Stings and Things’, an exhibition and workshop for schools and Science Fairs sponsored by The Royal Society
2007 – prints from ‘Trees, Water, Atmosphere’ shown at Perrywood Arts Open Air Exhibition, 19th August, and at Chilham Church during September
2007 – until September 2008 – micrographs and ‘Rude Fungi’ photographs shown as part of the exhibition ‘The World Turned Upside Down’ in the café bar of The Marlowe Theatre, Canterbury
I have also enjoyed having collaborations with visiting artists working in my laboratory, including Gwyneth Thurgood (1985-1990), Ascunsion Bassas (1999-2000), Annie Halliday (2000 to present) and Tanya Jones (2007 to present)
paints.uk.com 