Reader in Photojournalism

Research Fields

Documentary Photography
Photojournalism
Documentary Sound Recordings
Spiti
Tibet
The Elephant and Castle

Current Research

For over a decade Patrick Sutherland has been documenting the culturally Tibetan community in the Spiti Valley in North India. The project started as photographic documentation which lead to a touring exhibition, the book Spiti The Forbidden Valley, magazine spreads and catalogues. More recently he has become interested in documenting Spiti sonically. An extended radio interview with Peter Cusack on Resonance FM and broadcast of my early recordings lead to funding from the British Library and an AHRC grant. The emerging archive of sound recordings is being deposited in the permanent collection of the British Library. Additionally the British Library has acquired a substantial collection of photographic prints and digital files.

Patrick's work occupies a territory where documentary / arts practice overlaps with the academic worlds of anthropology. He has presented papers at anthropology conferences and contribute to the Visual Anthropology MA at Manchester.

He is also directing the Elephant Vanishes, a long term documentation of the regeneration of the Elephant and Castle. This project, a collaborative venture with colleagues Paul Lowe, Brigitte Lardinois and Val Williams involves the commissioning of established photographers, directing students to work on set themes, the production of exhibitions and catalogues and the eventual creation of an archive of work. He has raised £40,000 for the project from Southwark Council so far. The exhibition Home, by MA Photojournalism and Documentary Photography students funded by Getty was exhibited in the Cuming Museum and will shortly be published.

Peer Esteem

Awards and Residencies
Commissions East Award (Arts Council), 2002
Frederick Williamson Memorial Trust Award (Cambridge University), 2002
Cross Channel Photo Mission Award, 1991
World Press Photo Foundation Award, 1990
PBFA Topographic Literary Award for the book Wetland, 1987
Brinkley Fellowship, Norwich School of Art, 1984
Welsh Arts Council Award, 1981

Memberships
Membership of professional bodies
Member of IALS, the International Association of Ladakh Studies

Supervised Students

Sophie Beard
Paul Lowe
Sam Vale
Ben Murphy
Kathryn O'Brien
Gary McLeod

Email

p.sutherland@lcc.arts.ac.uk