bio
The painting is by Amelia Preston
A Bio - Philip Singleton FRSA ARPS
Philip was born in Wolverhampton. He successfully studied for his two architecture degrees at the University of Sheffield, then moved to the big city of his childhood, Birmingham, in 1990.
His Labradoodle is called Rory and he now has a Schnoodle called Marcus.
Philip completed his masters degree at the Falmouth University renowned Institute of Photography in 2018 with a distinction.
He is no longer practicing as an architect and is focusing on his image making career as well as helping people deliver projects. His vocational work includes winning an RIBA design award, running the Big City Plan in its formative years, Millennium Point in Birmingham as CEO and the largest self-build project in the UK.
For 11 years he was on the judging panel for the Prime Minister’s Better Public Building Prize.
Philip is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and Associate of the Royal Photographic Society.
Artist’s Statement
Philip is applying his passion for making images which started when his father gave him a heavy Russian Zenit SLR film camera in the 1970’s and he set up a pop-up darkroom in his parents' kitchen on winter nights.
The Pause Project; this is Philip’s personal but shared relationship with the city of Birmingham and its spaces and places. He is now reaching into other towns and cities.
The images capture a reflective, meditative, intimate view of Birmingham’s buildings that are in a pause state, life has left them, they await death by demolition or new breath through new use. Often the marks and scars of use are recorded on walls and surfaces, but human life has departed.
The body of work is growing as each building is accessed through careful negotiation and recorded as a memory to be shared. Philip sees this as an important gathering of memories as Birmingham once again embarks on the growing pains of massive regeneration.
“Defining : The moment of discontinuity : The state of in-between”. “Acting : To dwell in the moment and capture the interstitial state”.
Exhibitions
January 2017 : Philip was selected to exhibit at the Royal Birmingham Society of Artists’ Gallery in Birmingham by a distinguished panel of independent judges - Paul Hill MBE FRPS, Jim Duncan, Lorentz Gullachsen, and Grahame Wickings
June 2017 : Presented his work at Redeye’s Hothouse for emerging talent in Sheffield.
June 2017 : Photocafé practice presentation of work in Birmingham.
July 2017 : As part of the Developed in Birmingham Collective, Philip carried out two rephotography walks around Birmingham City Centre, both of which sold out.
August 2017 : Launch of a 4 image exhibition at Opus Restaurant Birmingham.
September 2017 : Launch by Pete James FRPS of 13 image solo exhibition at Bar Opus, Birmingham which runs until March 2018. Blog - opening speech here
September 2017 : Philip joined three other photographers in Amsterdam to capture the Unseen International Photo Exhibition.
June 2018 : solo show ‘Birmingham Dust’ at Argentea Gallery, Birmingham; a multimedia installation in concrete, projection and conventional print.
March 2019 : Group show at Format Festival in Derby - East meets West see images below.
May - September 2022 : West Midlands Open, New Art Gallery Walsall - two images selected. Part of the ongoing Pause Project. Images of the Imperial Building, Walsall. Monochrome.
2 March to 9 April 2023 : Philip was selected once more to show at the RBSA biannual exhibition of photographic images.
31st October to 11th November 2023 : Philip had work on show at the Birmingham Art Circle Annual Exhibition at the RBSA Gallery, Birmingham.
Residency
Philip had a short Artist in Residence at K4 Architects, based in Digbeth, Birmingham. He is exploring the design process and experimenting with crafting imagery fused with concrete.
More Things and News
Philip enjoys talking about his work. In October 2018 he presented to BA students online at Falmouth University. He continues to give informal advice and portfolio reviews to MA students.
In the Autumn of 2018 Philip was selected to join the Grain/Format Masterclass series to assist in developing his current work and leading towards a group exhibition.
In December 2018 Philip was selected by the Royal Photographic Society as an Associate Member.
In 2019 Philip entered an image of the Mucem building in Marseille for the international photography competition run by CBRE and won the mobile category - which delighted him. More info on the News Page.
Agency + Film
Philip has been previously been represented by Okk Arts - a quote from the agency
‘Philip has been identified as a strong and collectable image maker and has sold his work to the head of an international bank in Birmingham, a Hong Kong and Brooklyn based property developer as well as the owner of a restaurant chain in Birmingham’.
Image below copyright Gibson Kochanek Studio
