1948
Born in Birmingham
1959-1964
Educated in Halesowen Technical School
1964-1969
Worked for British Steel Corporation, Birmingham.
1969-1972
Studied Photography at Manchester Polytechnic School of Photography.
1972-
Freelance Photographer
1980
Established Brian Griffin Studio
1987
Les Rencontres d'Arles, Arles, France.
1991
Co-established Produktion
1991 -
TV Commercials/ Music Video film director.
2000/2003
Wrote the script for the feature film Bluetown.
2003
Worked on Birmingham's bid to become "European Capital City of Culture".
2004
Directed a film documentary for, and of, Sir Paul McCartney.
2003
The Water People corporate book and exhibition for Reykjavik Energy
2004
Baugur The Movie corporate book for the Baugur Group.
2007
Team book and exhibition for the state opening of St. Pancras Station
2009
Patron of the Format Photo Festival, Derby, UK.
Les Rencontres d'Arles, Arles, France.
Launched along with Lord Coe, London Olympic Games Road to 2012, National Portrait Gallery, London.
2010
Face to Face: A Portrait Retrospective, Birmingham. UK
2011
Marseille - Provence 2013. Major photography project.
Library of Birmingham Reference Works photography project
Elected to Patron of the FORMAT festival, Derby, UK.
2013
Visiting Professor at University of Derby
Annual Report Corporate Retrospective, Bologna, Italy.
Received Centenary Medal from the Royal Photographic Society.
Selected Exhibitions:
1975
Young British Photographers, Museum of Modern Art, Oxford
1978
Portraits Of Our Time, The Photographers' Gallery, London
1979
Three Perspectives, Hayward Gallery, London
1980
St Leonard's on Sea
1981
Rock 'n' Roll and The Office, Contrast Gallery, London
Half a Dozen Photographers, Stafford Art Gallery
1982
Contemporary British Photographers, Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Lichtbildnisse -Das Portrin der Fotografie, Rheinisches Landesmuseum,Bonn
Open Eye Gallery, Liverpool
Galerie Viviane Esders, Paris
International Foto Festival, Malmo, Sweden
IKON Gallery, Birmingham
Foto Factory, Sweden
1983
Brian Griffin, Savile Club, London.
London at Night, The Photographers' Gallery, London
Auras, Olympus Gallery, London
Brian Griffin, Manchester Polytechnic
1984
Brian Griffin, Olympus Gallery, Tokyo
Razzle Dazzle Pop, ICA London
1985
Human Interest, Cornerhouse, Manchester
1986
British Contemporary Photography, Coming of Age, Houston Foto Festival, Texas, USA
20 For Today, National Portrait Gallery, London.
European Portrait Photography, Foto Galerij, Antwerp, Belgium
50 Years of Modern Colour Photography, Photokina, Cologne, Germany
Cricket and Modern Art, Art Gallery, Scarborough
Contrariwise, Glynn Vivian Gallery, Swansea
Augenweide, Olympus Gallery, Hamburg,Germany
Disc - cover, City Arts Centre, Edinburgh.
1987
Cite Des Photographes, Arles, France
The Gallery Downstairs, Burnley
De Moor, Amsterdam
Portraits, Les Rencontres d'Arles, Arles, France.
1988
XYZ Fotografie, Ghent, Belgium
IF sas, Milan, Italy
Fotografia Oltre, Chiasso, Switzerland.
Interarte, Visor Centre Fotografic, Valencia
20s encontros da imagem, Braga, Portugal
Galeria de l'Ancienne Poste, Calais.
3rd Foto Biennale, Vigo, Spain
Galeria Artu, Barcelona
Createurs d'Images Createurs de Mode, Musee des Arts de la Mode, Paris
Kodachrome Classics, Photokina, Cologne
WORK, Stills Gallery, Edinburgh International Festival.
Pendle Photographic Gallery, Nelson, UK.
Picture House, Leicester, UK
Towards A Bigger Picture, Victoria & Albert Museum, London.
WORK, National Portrait Gallery, London
Impressions Gallery, York
Tate Gallery, Liverpool
Norwich Arts Centre
Brewery Arts Centre, Kendal
Visage Gallery, Chester
Through The Looking Glass, Barbican Art Gallery, London
150 Years of Photography, Manes Hall, Prague
Foto Biennale, Enschede, The Netherlands
1990
Photographer of the Decade, Poseurs, Birmingham
Forum Stadt Park, Graz, Austria
Perspektief, Rotterdam
Hippolyte Gallery, Helsinki
Pokjoinen Valokuvakeskus, Finland
Fotografiskt Galleri, Stockholm
1992
Beyond The Portrait, Derby City Museum, UK
1998
UNDER/EXPOSED, Stockholm
1999
Meet Chamber of Pop Culture, London
2002
Seeing Things, Victoria and Albert Museum, London.
2003
People and The City, Birmingham Art Gallery and Museum, UK.
Le Cheveu L'Espace Gallery. Montreal, Canada.
Collecting photographs, Focus Gallery, London.
Circling the Square, National Portrait Gallery, London.
2004
Time Out Portraits, Tom Blau Gallery, London.
Gallery at Sketch, London.
Aspects of Architecture, Graves Art Gallery, Sheffield, UK
2005
Influences (Retrospective), Art Museum, Reyjkavik, Iceland.
The Trip, German Gymnasium, London.
A Question of Identity, National Portrait Gallery, London.
2006
The Water People, Reykjavik, Iceland.
2007
Between Today and Yesterday, Tunpike Gallery, Leigh, UK
Madame la Presidente, Les Rencontres d'Arles, France.
TeamPhoto, St. Pancras, London, UK
2008
One Man Show, University of Falmouth, UK
One Man Show, Ardenandanstruther Gallery, Petworth, UK.
One Man Show, England & Co Gallery, London, UK
No Such Thing As Society, Aberystwyth Arts Centre, Wales
2009
Brian Griffin, One Man Show, Les Rencontres Arles Photographie, Arles, France.
2010
Face to Face: A Retrospective, Birmingham, UK
Road to 2012, National Portrait Gallery, London
The Black Country, College des Bernardins, Paris.
2011
The Black Country, New Art Gallery Walsall, UK.
2012
The Back Country, Arles-Beijing 2012, Beijing, China.
Welcome to Hofn, Hofn, Iceland.
2013
Photo 50 International Art Fair, London
Still Waters, Museum and Art Gallery, Derby, UK
Mediterranees, Marseille - Provence 2013
Reference Works, New Library of Birmingham, UK.
Entre Margens, Porto, Portugal.
Foto Industria, Bologna, Italy
Audio Visual Performances:
1987
Theatre Antique, Arles
1988
Royal College of Physicians, Edinburgh Festival
3rd Foto Biennale, Vigo
Silverman Hall, Nelson
1989
National Portrait Gallery, London
BBC TV The Late Show
1990
Metro Cinema Derby
Encontros da imagem '90, Braga
BBC TV The Late Show
2003
Rhubarb-Rhubarb, Birmingham
National Portrait Gallery, London
2004
Cambridge University
Derby University
Museum Reykjavik
St. Martins College of Art, London.
2005
National Portrait Gallery, London
2007
National Gallery, Edinburgh, Scotland.
2008
One man show, England Gallery, London.
2009
Les Rencontres d'Arles, Arles, France.
Selected Collections:
Victoria & Albert Museum, London
Arts council, London
British Council, London
West Midlands Arts
Stills gallery, Edinburgh
National Portrait Gallery, London
City Museum, Braga, Portugal
Museum Folkwang, Essen, Germany
Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, UK
Art Museum Reykjavik, Iceland
Baugur Group
Selected Awards: Film:
BAFTA:
ACADAMY AWARDS 'Best Commercial of the Year', 1992 (Forte/Saatchi & Saatchi)
'Golden Monkey Award' for Best Film, Mons International Short Film Festival, Belgium, 1995 (Claustrofoamia)
'Certificate of Merit', the Chicago International Film Festival, 1995 (Claustrofoamia)
Selected Awards: Photography:
D & AD: 'Most Outstanding Award for Photography in a Book', 1989 (WORK)
'Most Outstanding Award for Promotional Magazine', 1988 (Broadgate)
'Most Outstanding Award for Self-Promotional Item', 1988 (Portraits)
'Most Outstanding Award for Photography', 1984 (A Broken Frame/Depeche Mode)
Urania (Panasonic) included in D&AD Annual, 1996
The Art Directors' Club, 2nd International Exhibition - Merit 1988 (Portraits)
Creative Circle - Best Director, 1992 F(Forte)
Mead Annual Report Show - 'Commendation for Photography', 1985 (Hewlett Packard)
Primavera Fotografica, Barcelona - 'Best Photographic book in the world', 1990 (WORK)
Arles, France - Granted the Freedom of the City, 1987
The Guardian Newspaper - cited Photographer of the Decade', December 1989
Born in Birmingham
1959-1964
Educated in Halesowen Technical School
1964-1969
Worked for British Steel Corporation, Birmingham.
1969-1972
Studied Photography at Manchester Polytechnic School of Photography.
1972-
Freelance Photographer
1980
Established Brian Griffin Studio
1987
Les Rencontres d'Arles, Arles, France.
1991
Co-established Produktion
1991 -
TV Commercials/ Music Video film director.
2000/2003
Wrote the script for the feature film Bluetown.
2003
Worked on Birmingham's bid to become "European Capital City of Culture".
2004
Directed a film documentary for, and of, Sir Paul McCartney.
2003
The Water People corporate book and exhibition for Reykjavik Energy
2004
Baugur The Movie corporate book for the Baugur Group.
2007
Team book and exhibition for the state opening of St. Pancras Station
2009
Patron of the Format Photo Festival, Derby, UK.
Les Rencontres d'Arles, Arles, France.
Launched along with Lord Coe, London Olympic Games Road to 2012, National Portrait Gallery, London.
2010
Face to Face: A Portrait Retrospective, Birmingham. UK
2011
Marseille - Provence 2013. Major photography project.
Library of Birmingham Reference Works photography project
Elected to Patron of the FORMAT festival, Derby, UK.
2013
Visiting Professor at University of Derby
Annual Report Corporate Retrospective, Bologna, Italy.
Received Centenary Medal from the Royal Photographic Society.
Selected Exhibitions:
1975
Young British Photographers, Museum of Modern Art, Oxford
1978
Portraits Of Our Time, The Photographers' Gallery, London
1979
Three Perspectives, Hayward Gallery, London
1980
St Leonard's on Sea
1981
Rock 'n' Roll and The Office, Contrast Gallery, London
Half a Dozen Photographers, Stafford Art Gallery
1982
Contemporary British Photographers, Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Lichtbildnisse -Das Portrin der Fotografie, Rheinisches Landesmuseum,Bonn
Open Eye Gallery, Liverpool
Galerie Viviane Esders, Paris
International Foto Festival, Malmo, Sweden
IKON Gallery, Birmingham
Foto Factory, Sweden
1983
Brian Griffin, Savile Club, London.
London at Night, The Photographers' Gallery, London
Auras, Olympus Gallery, London
Brian Griffin, Manchester Polytechnic
1984
Brian Griffin, Olympus Gallery, Tokyo
Razzle Dazzle Pop, ICA London
1985
Human Interest, Cornerhouse, Manchester
1986
British Contemporary Photography, Coming of Age, Houston Foto Festival, Texas, USA
20 For Today, National Portrait Gallery, London.
European Portrait Photography, Foto Galerij, Antwerp, Belgium
50 Years of Modern Colour Photography, Photokina, Cologne, Germany
Cricket and Modern Art, Art Gallery, Scarborough
Contrariwise, Glynn Vivian Gallery, Swansea
Augenweide, Olympus Gallery, Hamburg,Germany
Disc - cover, City Arts Centre, Edinburgh.
1987
Cite Des Photographes, Arles, France
The Gallery Downstairs, Burnley
De Moor, Amsterdam
Portraits, Les Rencontres d'Arles, Arles, France.
1988
XYZ Fotografie, Ghent, Belgium
IF sas, Milan, Italy
Fotografia Oltre, Chiasso, Switzerland.
Interarte, Visor Centre Fotografic, Valencia
20s encontros da imagem, Braga, Portugal
Galeria de l'Ancienne Poste, Calais.
3rd Foto Biennale, Vigo, Spain
Galeria Artu, Barcelona
Createurs d'Images Createurs de Mode, Musee des Arts de la Mode, Paris
Kodachrome Classics, Photokina, Cologne
WORK, Stills Gallery, Edinburgh International Festival.
Pendle Photographic Gallery, Nelson, UK.
Picture House, Leicester, UK
Towards A Bigger Picture, Victoria & Albert Museum, London.
WORK, National Portrait Gallery, London
Impressions Gallery, York
Tate Gallery, Liverpool
Norwich Arts Centre
Brewery Arts Centre, Kendal
Visage Gallery, Chester
Through The Looking Glass, Barbican Art Gallery, London
150 Years of Photography, Manes Hall, Prague
Foto Biennale, Enschede, The Netherlands
1990
Photographer of the Decade, Poseurs, Birmingham
Forum Stadt Park, Graz, Austria
Perspektief, Rotterdam
Hippolyte Gallery, Helsinki
Pokjoinen Valokuvakeskus, Finland
Fotografiskt Galleri, Stockholm
1992
Beyond The Portrait, Derby City Museum, UK
1998
UNDER/EXPOSED, Stockholm
1999
Meet Chamber of Pop Culture, London
2002
Seeing Things, Victoria and Albert Museum, London.
2003
People and The City, Birmingham Art Gallery and Museum, UK.
Le Cheveu L'Espace Gallery. Montreal, Canada.
Collecting photographs, Focus Gallery, London.
Circling the Square, National Portrait Gallery, London.
2004
Time Out Portraits, Tom Blau Gallery, London.
Gallery at Sketch, London.
Aspects of Architecture, Graves Art Gallery, Sheffield, UK
2005
Influences (Retrospective), Art Museum, Reyjkavik, Iceland.
The Trip, German Gymnasium, London.
A Question of Identity, National Portrait Gallery, London.
2006
The Water People, Reykjavik, Iceland.
2007
Between Today and Yesterday, Tunpike Gallery, Leigh, UK
Madame la Presidente, Les Rencontres d'Arles, France.
TeamPhoto, St. Pancras, London, UK
2008
One Man Show, University of Falmouth, UK
One Man Show, Ardenandanstruther Gallery, Petworth, UK.
One Man Show, England & Co Gallery, London, UK
No Such Thing As Society, Aberystwyth Arts Centre, Wales
2009
Brian Griffin, One Man Show, Les Rencontres Arles Photographie, Arles, France.
2010
Face to Face: A Retrospective, Birmingham, UK
Road to 2012, National Portrait Gallery, London
The Black Country, College des Bernardins, Paris.
2011
The Black Country, New Art Gallery Walsall, UK.
2012
The Back Country, Arles-Beijing 2012, Beijing, China.
Welcome to Hofn, Hofn, Iceland.
2013
Photo 50 International Art Fair, London
Still Waters, Museum and Art Gallery, Derby, UK
Mediterranees, Marseille - Provence 2013
Reference Works, New Library of Birmingham, UK.
Entre Margens, Porto, Portugal.
Foto Industria, Bologna, Italy
Audio Visual Performances:
1987
Theatre Antique, Arles
1988
Royal College of Physicians, Edinburgh Festival
3rd Foto Biennale, Vigo
Silverman Hall, Nelson
1989
National Portrait Gallery, London
BBC TV The Late Show
1990
Metro Cinema Derby
Encontros da imagem '90, Braga
BBC TV The Late Show
2003
Rhubarb-Rhubarb, Birmingham
National Portrait Gallery, London
2004
Cambridge University
Derby University
Museum Reykjavik
St. Martins College of Art, London.
2005
National Portrait Gallery, London
2007
National Gallery, Edinburgh, Scotland.
2008
One man show, England Gallery, London.
2009
Les Rencontres d'Arles, Arles, France.
Selected Collections:
Victoria & Albert Museum, London
Arts council, London
British Council, London
West Midlands Arts
Stills gallery, Edinburgh
National Portrait Gallery, London
City Museum, Braga, Portugal
Museum Folkwang, Essen, Germany
Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, UK
Art Museum Reykjavik, Iceland
Baugur Group
Selected Awards: Film:
BAFTA:
ACADAMY AWARDS 'Best Commercial of the Year', 1992 (Forte/Saatchi & Saatchi)
'Golden Monkey Award' for Best Film, Mons International Short Film Festival, Belgium, 1995 (Claustrofoamia)
'Certificate of Merit', the Chicago International Film Festival, 1995 (Claustrofoamia)
Selected Awards: Photography:
D & AD: 'Most Outstanding Award for Photography in a Book', 1989 (WORK)
'Most Outstanding Award for Promotional Magazine', 1988 (Broadgate)
'Most Outstanding Award for Self-Promotional Item', 1988 (Portraits)
'Most Outstanding Award for Photography', 1984 (A Broken Frame/Depeche Mode)
Urania (Panasonic) included in D&AD Annual, 1996
The Art Directors' Club, 2nd International Exhibition - Merit 1988 (Portraits)
Creative Circle - Best Director, 1992 F(Forte)
Mead Annual Report Show - 'Commendation for Photography', 1985 (Hewlett Packard)
Primavera Fotografica, Barcelona - 'Best Photographic book in the world', 1990 (WORK)
Arles, France - Granted the Freedom of the City, 1987
The Guardian Newspaper - cited Photographer of the Decade', December 1989