Publisher: Bosham Gallery
Dimensions: 230mm x 240mm
World renowned photographer, CHARLIE WAITE, announces his unique, personal and never before seen works to be exhibited at Bosham Gallery. We are excited to publish a catalogue of 52 Hidden Works that trace the career of one of Britain's most collected landscape photographers from 1970 to the present day. Showcasing arguably some of his most artistic works and a passion for black and white silver gelatin printing, these images, until today, have never been shared.
In the 1970s and 1980s, Charlie Waite worked very much for the benefit of the illustrated book market, which as an industry was flourishing. He was commissioned to work all over Europe and published prolifically: to date 30 titles and counting. Works were curated by book editors specifically to illustrate travel books, but weren’t exhibited publicly as the gallery scene was still in its infancy. In 2019 we were privileged to be given full access to Waite’s vast archive and what we found was hugely exciting: a significant number of transparencies of hitherto unpublished works had remained hidden from the public domain. At the time, not ‘chosen’ by magazine editors for illustrative purposes, many of the photographs in this collection had been all but forgotten, hidden under the weight of Waite’s ever-expanding oeuvre. Together they document the crystallising of a unique talent; Waite’s artistic journey. As a curator, to come across work of this significance and be able to publish it now is hugely satisfying. These hidden works deserve their place amongst Waite’s best-known photographs, some of which are also included in our catalogue.
Hidden Works capture photographs from all over the world including Japan, Italy, Belgium, England, Cuba, Scotland, Mali, France, USA, Australia, Morocco, Namibia, Egypt, Germany, Libya and Spain.
"In a career spanning nearly 50 years, the reason for Waite’s success is clear: he has unapologetically stayed faithful to beauty and tirelessly committed to photography as an art medium. When beauty went out of fashion in mainstream art circles, Waite refused to join the bandwagon of modern conceptual art photography. As we enter a new era and the art world grapples with how to reclaim beauty as a concept, Waite’s work takes on more significance. In these environmentally uncertain times he reminds us to cherish the precious and ephemeral beauty of the natural world while we still can." LUKE WHITAKER, Director.
"Until the announcement of my Hidden Works exhibition I have deeply missed the almost mystical experience of black and white hand printing in my darkroom. Now however I have immersed myself once again, and it is very special because the whole process of interpreting the negative has always been truly sacred to me. With much sentiment I have revisited works I created some 40 years ago and joyfully looked back at the decades which were spent making silver gelatin prints in the darkroom. It is truly like coming home." CHARLIE WAITE.
This catalogue contains 69 works in total by Charlie Waite.
