Portraits of Dame Judi and Adele included in exhibition of one photographer’s art
One Direction, Sam Smith and Rita Ora, Idris Elba and Stephen Graham – pictures from Derek Santini’s Self Made collection to go on show in his home town’s gallery.
An exhibition of portraits of cultural icons from different generations and backgrounds, by Scarborough-born photographer Derrick Santini, opens at Scarborough Art Gallery next month Included in the exhibition are portraits of musicians, entertainers and actors including Adele, Dame Judi Dench, Idris Elba, One Direction and Stephen Graham.
Self Made can be seen at the gallery from Saturday, May 18 to Sunday, September 1.
Self Made refers to Derrick’s own story of how he has shaped a professional career as a celebrated photographer and showcases the unique and inspiring individuals who have contributed significantly to British culture and made their mark in, and on, Britain in portraits taken over the past 30 years.
Derrick said: “After completing my BA Hons in Photography and Communication my professional career began.
“I was soon shooting a host of musical artists, for press and artwork. I love music so it felt natural to be working with musicians: lots of portraits for a diverse array of publications, from Vice to Vogue, agencies and companies in the UK, Europe and America.
“As a photographer I have spent my life searching out something to photograph, hunting elusive moments, and channeling desired ones. These decisive moments, split seconds in time, create a photograph, which in itself is the very essence of the art of photography.
"Amazing, incredible timeless moments, seen, cajoled, spirited, ultimately captured in that moment and thus born to the world.”
Dorcas Taylor, head of collections and interpretation at Scarborough Museums and Galleries, said: “Visitors to the exhibition will come face-to-face with some of the most famous people from the worlds of art, fashion, music and stage, and others less familiar, who they will find equally intriguing.
“They all have one thing in common with us. In the same way that we might strike a pose when someone takes our photo, these portraits are ‘made’.
"Some might look natural, some staged. Some seem to reveal more about the sitter than others.
"What version of that person are we looking at? There is a three-way conversation going on and it is this relationship between photographer, sitter and viewer that is also at the heart of this exhibition.”
Derrick Santini was born in Scarborough in 1965 and attended St Martin’s CE Primary School and Graham School before moving to Harrogate where he studied photography at Harrogate College.
He holds a BA Hons in photography and communication from the London College of Printing – now London College of Communication.
His portraits have been acquired by the National Portrait Gallery and he has exhibited in the UK and internationally.
His innovative approach and techniques have seen him lead masterclass workshops, most notably in Lenticular photography, which he is a great exponent of.
His work has been featured in many publications including Vice and Vogue, and he continues to work commercially and editorially, as well as publishing numerous articles on photog
raphy.
Derrick said: “I loved being a kid in Scarborough, it had it all: all the fun of the fair, some might say.
"The summers were sun and fun – we lived in the South Bay pool through the summer. On some days it was so packed you could barely find a spot to roost.
“Equally I loved the black and white winters, the contrasts of light and dark, and above all I love the sea.”
Derrick will also be running workshops with students from a local school. The students will curate an exhibition of their own work that will be displayed alongside Derrick’s portraits.
Scarborough Art Gallery is in The Crescent is every day except Monday – plus Bank Holidays – daily from 10am to 5pm.
Entry is free with an annual pass which costs £3, which also allows unlimited free entry to nearby the Rotunda Museum.
Scarborough Art Gallery houses the borough’s permanent collection of fine art, which has grown through gifts, bequests and purchases since its beginnings in 1947.
The gallery, originally called Crescent House, was built as a family home in the late 1840s by local solicitor John Uppleby.