Peter Basden is an artist that produces candid, observational photography that attempts to capture a personal interpretation of honest, in-between, unposed moments. All of his photographs are made with persistence, patience, 35mm film and a small manual camera.
Self-taught or art school?
I’m almost completely self-taught. When I was younger the idea of art school was certainly appealing, I did attend for about a month and whilst the darkroom certainly ignited something within me, ultimately my curiosity and a subconscious urge to really try to understand people and what makes them quite literally tick, led me to take an entirely different path, ending with me working for the NHS which has subsequently enabled me to fund my photography.
I’ve worked in pathology for the last ten years and for the last seven years I’ve been specifically trained to work with a small team at a large general hospital carrying out coronial post mortem examinations, retrieving tissues and organs from deceased donors and assisting the police with suspicious deaths.
If you could own one work of art what would it be?
One of the very first series of paintings that I remember really sticking with me as a youngster was Francis Bacon’s ‘Three Studies for Figures at the Base of a Crucifixion’ I remember the garish, raw forms in those paintings and how they stayed with me.
Whilst I can’t imagine that any of those paintings will be on my dining room wall anytime soon when I do occasionally visit those paintings at the Tate Britain they still stir up some dust, that’s for sure.
How would you describe your style?
My work probably fits into the established lineage of candid, observational street photography but I also like to think of it as a glimpse into the soft underbelly of characters from often ignored, fringe areas of the South East of England.
Is narrative important within your work?
I do like to think that there is some form of a visual narrative present in my work as a whole, or at least an underlying tone or feeling mirrored from the environment and the characters captured in my photography.
Who are your favourite artists and why?
Garry Winogrand has to be right at the top, I’ve always found his work very influential and aside from the fact he was a tireless photographic workhorse, I really admire the way he really grasped the rhythm of the scenes playing out in front of him. I was fortunate enough to visit an exhibition of his almost forgotten, never-before-seen colour work last year at the Brooklyn Museum. The entire exhibition was very engaging and it was fascinating to see his work through such a rich colour palette.
I am influenced by an increasing cast of timeless photographers, to mention a few I would have to name Joel Meyrowitz, Tony-Ray Jones, Richard Sandler, Matt Stuart and as of very recently Andre Wagner. Wagner’s work, aside from being a brilliant contemporary example of visual poetry from the streets of New York City, is also very poignant due to the global Black Lives Matter movement.
What or who inspires your art?
I think that my primary spark of inspiration is ignited by the environments and the people that I shoot. The way that the characters I encounter seem to drift in and out of my viewfinder really pushes me to chase and document the feeling I get from of an area of the country that feels like it is at times, bruised by life.
Where’s your studio and what’s it like?
I don’t have a studio and I’m quite often kept on my toes with my job, especially with the recent pandemic. I have to provide a twenty-four-hour on-call service and as my days are filled with post mortem work, my photography is often woven into that complex matrix of activity, yet entirely separate.
I purposely make a conscious effort to ensure that I have time to go out and shoot even if it’s just for an hour. I’ll often work with photographs at home in-between taking work calls or if I get time I’ll process my film in the office between cases. That rhythm, whilst not for everyone, so far has worked for me and in some respects allows me to momentarily disconnect from the surreal reality of what I do for a living. It gives me time to maintain perspective and compartmentalise my photography and my job.
Long term I do plan on putting together a darkroom at home or renting a studio space so that I can lock myself away, spend more time with the work and really put some hours into archiving my negatives and concentrating on printing.
Do you have any studio rituals?
For me the entire photographic process is ritualistic. From the way, I carry my camera, the repetition of the streets that I walk, the faces I see, to the mixing of chemicals and processing of the film. I see those necessary routines as just part of the process. An important part of photography for me is making sure I have a way of maintaining consistency throughout my work.
What are you working on currently?
I’m currently working on one long-term project based on the Medway towns, and a smaller side project inspired by the pandemic and mortuary staff – or as I like to think of it, a project revolving around those who work ‘behind the back door to the frontline’.
My Medway towns project, currently named ‘Medway, the bruise of a dying breed’, is made up of photographs that I have taken over the last five years. An area that has fallen on its own sword with Brexit, probably due to the uninformed and forgotten older population that resides here. An area where most of the high streets and shops are slowly wilting away. An area that has suffered through the pandemic. More importantly, an area where I have grown up, work and still reside with my family.
Where can we buy your art?
Later this year I will be putting together a small run of hand-processed silver gelatin prints to sell on my website. Beyond that, I hope to put together a small exhibition in 2021 where I will also hope to have a limited number of prints for sale. Ultimately the end goal is to try and finance a photo book made up of my work from the Medway towns.
Alternatively, I’m happy for people to independently contact me to buy prints if they have a specific photograph in mind.