About Janice

I studied science at school and college in the 70’s, gaining a degree and PhD in chemistry and following a career as a chemist before moving into health & safety in 1993. I’ve always loved making images and can remember using my parents Kodak Box Brownie at a young age. I was able to progress this in my first job after graduating (1980), as the lab in which I worked had its own darkroom. Here I first developed B&W films and soon acquired a 2nd hand Olympus OM10. I was able to spare the time to study photography after my mother had died (1998) and went to an evening class at a local college. I studied O level photography under an inspirational teacher (Guy Evans) and met a soul-mate in a fellow student (Mort Marsh). Mort and I both went on to Staffordshire University direct from O level. Due to life and work commitments I had to study part-time, starting in 2000 and finally completing my degree in June 2005, gaining 1st Class Honours.

I have probably identified myself with still-life images more than with any other subject. I believe that there is a beauty in man-made objects which is not fully appreciated. I share the view of German Objectivist photographer Albert Renger-Patzsch, that “We still don’t sufficiently appreciate the opportunity to capture the magic of material things. The structure of wood, stone, and metal can be shown with a perfection beyond the means of painting…” (1) (as well as sharing an original career in Chemistry). He was concerned with photography’s ability to record the exact appearance of an object, although I photograph man-made objects to accentuate their beauty, not merely to record them accurately.

Achievements:

Highly commended in Leek Arts Festival Photographic Competition – May 2001
Winner of student prize in ‘3 Counties Open Photography Competition’ (Keele, Staffs) – March 2003
Winner of Justin Benton Memorial Prize for highest achieving photo student (Staffs Uni) – June 2005
Winner of Rhubarb-Rhubarb bursary award (attendance at Photography festival and images in 'Platform 1' part of photography exhibition at Curzon Street Station Building, Birmingham) - July 2007
Engineering components (transparencies on lightboxes) featured as part of group exhibition: 'Platform 1 - Rhubarb-Rhubarb bursary award winners 2007' exhibition at Shire Hall Gallery, Stafford - Jan to Mar 2008
Images exhibited in photography exhibitions at Keele University, Hanley Museum, Shire Hall (Stafford)

1: Albert Renger Patzsch in Joy before the Object, 1993, Aperture Foundation Inc