User:Johnlangleybristol

In 2007 a critically acclaimed, highly controversial Westcountry (England) based photographer called, John Langley,had his work exhibited at the internationally prestigious, Tate Modern gallery, in London.

Not many have achieved this accolade in England. But more importantly this was a first for the South West: and he's the only photographer from the region to have ever had his images on display there to date. Quite an achievement given that there are cutting edge photographers from all over the world who would give life and limb for the same opportunity. An ambition which few, if any, will ever reach.

This was headline making material which the media jumped on. The story ran on radio, television, and in the press, as this photographer had brought home to the West country the equivalent of an Olympic gold medal in the arts, and the profile of this relatively unknown photographer took him to another level overnight. As a result of this his life and work was filmed by the BBC for broadcast later in 2008.

Never being one to shy away from highly emotive subjects his most radical work reflects suicide, violent attack, and sexuality: all in graphic detail which quite deliberately provokes a viewer's response. He's the bad boy of photographic art. An anarchist who American Christian artists ganged up on to have his work banned from a number of high profile USA internet art sites for being too honest and reflective of life for their sensitivities. Somewhat hysterically they saw his work as dangerous and him as the anti-Christ, or Devil incarnate. Yet his whole ethos is one of reflecting life, the extremities of human behaviour: and a small aspect of the viewer's own personality they, in some way, feel uncomfortable with. And it works!