University News Last updated 03 March 2014
Leading British photographer and filmmaker Brian Griffin returns to his birth place next month to receive an honorary doctorate from Birmingham City University.
With a career spanning more than four decades, Griffin has become known as one of England’s most influential creative portrait photographers. Beginning his career as a staff photographer at Management Today in 1972, his unique approach, with his witty and surreal touches, changed the face of corporate portraiture, leading to a series of significant commissions for leading companies around the world. He went on to become one of the most revered portrait photographers of his generation, capturing the likes of Kate Bush, Brian May, Ringo Starr, Iggy Pop, Helen Mirren and Vivienne Westwood.
He received the Freedom of The City of Arles, France in 1987 and in 1989, the Guardian declared him the “Photographer of the Decade”. At the Barcelona Primavera in 1991, Brian’s self-published book ‘Work’ was declared the best photographic book in the world.
In 2003 Brian worked on the project to enable Birmingham to become The Capital City of Culture. He produced a book and exhibition for the Royal Opening of St. Pancras station and High Speed 1 in 2007 and launched ‘Road To 2012‘, the largest photography project to be undertaken by the National Portrait Gallery, in 2009 for the London Olympics.
In 2010 a major retrospective of his portraiture took place in Birmingham, followed by an exhibition, centred on his early life in the Black Country, at the College de Bernardins in Paris. This resulted in the publication of his autobiography ‘The Black Kingdom’ in 2013, about growing up in the Black Country during the 50’s and 60’s.
Most recently he has produced a series of portraits for ‘Reference Works’, the inaugural exhibition celebrating the opening of the new library of Birmingham and in 2013 he received the "Centenary Medal" from the Royal Photographic Society for a lifetime achievement in photography.
Upon receiving his honorary doctorate Brian said: "My vision has been heavily inspired by the city of my birth and by growing up in the Black Country.”
Brian Griffin will receive the award on Monday 3 March at the Awards Congregation ceremony which will celebrate the achievements of students graduating from Birmingham Institute of Art and Design and Birmingham City Business School.