Garrick Palmer - A New Career As Photographer

A New Career As Photographer

Palmer has always had a strong interest in photography, especially in black and white, which parallels his expressive wood engravings. Beginning in 1983, he has had numerous commissions and exhibitions: Exhibition of Orkney & Shetland, The Winchester Gallery, 1983; a grant from Southern Arts for a Portsmouth project, 1985; commission to produce photographs of sculptures in Hampshire for the newly-formed Hampshire Sculpture Trust, January 1987, followed by its opening exhibition in May 1987, followed by an exhibition of the prints at the Winchester Gallery in July 1987. In November 1987, the City of Portsmouth Museum and Art Gallery held an exhibition of his photographs, entitled "Portsmouth, A Personal Reflection", which moved to the Havant Museum and Gallery in July 1988. October 1990 saw an "Exhibition of Architectural Photographs" at the Spitfield Gallery, London. Palmer participated in "A Southern Eye" - Six Photographers, at the Winchester Contemporary Art Gallery in September 1996. In April, 1997 he exhibited photographs of contemporary sculpture at the New Art Centre, Roche Court.

Hampshire County Council awarded Palmer a three-year grant in 1997 to photograph "Early Churches in Hampshire", a selection of photographs being shown at Winchester Cathedral in 1999. Other exhibitions include: photographs of historic churches and landscapes around the area of Butser were shown at the Queen Elizabeth Country Park Centre in August and September, 2001; "Photographs of Sculpture" at the Hampshire Sculpture Trust Gallery in Winchester, November–December 2002. "FOREST", an exhibition at the Winchester Gallery plus a Southern Arts Touring Exhibition 2002-2003; photographs at the Queen Elizabeth Country Park Centre in 2004. In February–March 2006, Palmer's show of church interiors, "Places of Worship", was held at Portsmouth Cathedral; in October–November 2006 "At Any Time" was shown at the Winchester Gallery.

In 2001 Palmer was commissioned to document the demolition of the site next to Pallant House and the building of the New Pallant House Gallery in Chichester, a project that occupied him until 2006. He has since photographed works by the young New Zealand artist Makoure Scott for Twenty-First Century Works, a limited edition publication, (Paul Holberton, 2006).