A. M. Hanson

A.M.Hanson (Alexander Mark Hanson). UK, born: 1969. Photographer (art photography / documentary photography) and artist (photo-related mixed media).

Based in London, A.M.Hanson's English / international urban and rural photo projects and stories, often form long term series made over extended periods of time. Displayed in blogs, printed matter, picture books and shows, in photo construction format or as photo installation, with other photo-related mixed and multi media work.

The work has appeared in international art galleries, project spaces, books, art monographs and magazines.

Early life

Born in 1969, adopted and raised in the Yorkshire countryside, in the north-east of England. Early `creative trips` to his mother's Leeds pottery studio, holidays with the `cheap n' colourful` Court Line (early 1970s) and an elderly neighbour (Hettie Lonsdale)'s love of art, are cited as early visual influences.

Hanson moved from home at age 17, holding happenings in the basement of a shared house in the Harehills area of Leeds. Around the same time he won a place with the National Youth Theatre. At age 18 his first work was exhibited at Leeds City Art Gallery (video/photo-montages: "Bridge with Swimming Pool"), he also performed in several public productions at Leeds University Workshop Theatre.

He drops out of the formal education system early (after a stint studying fine art and drama) and moves to London at the age of 19, in January 1989 to "begin an adventure with a tripod and notebook". However work that year shows him already exploring out of town; including "Pan Euro", a photo journey across Europe to Italy in the Summer of 89 and `Berlin 1989` folio (including the photo work "Landscape in Serial Shadow"), documenting the historic collapse of the Berlin Wall later that year.

1990's work

A.M.Hanson's first published work appears in magazines such as i-D (Jan '91) and other scene and music periodicals in the early to mid 1990s, often with the tag Alex Sparks. A series "New Disco Portraits" (1993-95 / photographs, 35 mm projections, edition photo-books), made mainly with disposable cameras bought by the dozen late at night. The folio includes an early image of designer Alexander McQueen on the verge of fame, alongside other progressive characters, at a time when London was witnessing the so-called Brit Art and Pop explosion. ("Stories from the Night" and "The Monsters and Angels of London" are current related series). He also made film stills and appeared in the award winning brit-flick short "A Smashing Night Out" (dir: M. Glamorre / 1994 BBC 10 x 10 series), amongst other projects at the time.

He was the only photographer to record performance artist and cultural icon Leigh Bowery's legendary last show in November 1994. Some of the work was shown at The Fine Art Society, London in 1995, and later appeared in the monograph "Leigh Bowery" (Violette Editions / 1998), prompting publisher Robert Violette to say that they `represented a crucial, defining moment of the 1990s`.

The mid to late '90s A.M.Hanson produces various editorial, advertising, other documentary work, alongside art or concept photography work. Selected work from this period was displayed mainly in shops, bars and project spaces and mainly throughout London's Soho and Shoreditch districts.

An audio/visual book "We Love You" (Booth Clibborn 1998) shows Hanson's photography print work alongside that of more established art world figures such as Gilbert & George, Marc Quinn and Tracey Emin (credit appears as Alex Mark Hanson called Simon in this and other publications).

2000's work

A.M.Hanson begins to evolve `photo-concept characters` such as "Susan Tripod", "Missy Island", "Country Tramp" and "Rebel Against Thing". These are semi-alter ego or hybrid photo-personalities derived from memory, day to day realities, fantasy and are presented in a range of guises and formats. They provide a thematic umbrella under which a variety of work is made and shown. Photo stories and projects show a variety and range of contemporary life, encounters and concepts. Increasingly the photo or printed matter moves away from its traditional format; mixed media `wall pieces`, photo-installation, site specific work and recorded text (based on photo characters) and songs (such as "Rebel Against Thing"), sometimes appear under the banner alexcalledsimon projects (ongoing), often with collaborators (such as "The Offset" and "The Paper People").

In Spring 2002 he responded to the events of 9/11 with a folio of photographs ("Sunburst over Liberty Island") and charcoal text drawings ("Empire State Always Future") made in New York City. An eco-art series "Missy Island Goes Home" was made in the Greek islands during 2004. Island paper hats are worn, photographed and filmed, on heads around town. Hanson often uses an island map impression as a motif, sometimes with the tag Alexisland.

A.M.Hanson also documents and creates images of other contemporaries at work and play in docu photo stories and folio series; friends, associates, the famous, infamous, unsung heroes, people from a variety of work disciplines and lifestyles.

Recent development of new thematic photography, photo art and mixed media work, being shown in `"up town, down town, out of town" galleries and project spaces, however mainly in London and sometimes further afield; Berlin, Milan, Barcelona and Tokyo (2002 - 2008 onwards; see links for further details).

Selected work from his series "English Wisteria" appeared in "24London" (2006), a European touring group show promoting the British capital (previewed at the Hayward Gallery, London). His photograph of Prince William ("Black Prince, White Prince (William)"), from this story, forms part of a new series of mono-print portraits. Hanson's imprint simonsplaypeneditions (ongoing) produces printed matter often based around such specific performance related events. He sometimes previews forthcoming show and book work at his `atelier alexcalledsimon`.

Work shown at The Photographer's Gallery, London in a group photo project "What Haunts You?" (Nov 2007 - Jan 2008).

New site specific photo work and paper work showing in `Museum of Revised History` at Residence Gallery, London (Aug - Sept 08), part of the `Hackney Wicked` Art Festival (8 - 10 Aug 08).

External links

* [http://www.alexcalledsimonprojects.com A.M. Hanson / alexcalledsimon projects / simonsplaypen-editions]
* [http://www.alexcalledsimon.blogspot.com selected recent docu photo stories & show news]
* [http://www.residence-gallery.com Museum of Revised History]
* [http://www.hackneywicked.com Hackney Wicked Art Festival 08]
* [http://www.24london.info A.M.Hanson in 24London shows]
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/nolavconsole/ifs_news/hi/newsid_6130000/newsid_6137000/nb_wm_6137088.stm BBC news clip about 24London shows]
* [http://www.photonet.org.uk The Photographer's Gallery, London]
* [http://www.yokeandzoom.com alexcalledsimon in Tokyo show]
* [http://www.the-artists.org alexcalledsimon projects at the-artists.org]
* [http://www.thecentreofattention.org/exhibitions/feat.html A.M.Hanson in The Centre of Attention Gallery show]
* [http://www.leighbowery.com.br story behind the Leigh Bowery pictures]