Photograph of Hag by Josh Meyland 2009 composite by Hag
‘Hag is concerned with the faculty of consciousness as a fundamental quality of nature and the illusions of reality’
Hag FHEA, born 1949 in Leeds, Yorkshire, UK. Completing his photographic studies in 1971 at the Polytechnic of Central London, now Westminster University, he worked as an assistant to John S Clarke a leading advertising photographer. Hag then followed his own creative path building his first dark room in 1973.
His photographs are all produced in the dark room juxtaposing and combining elements from original negatives without the use of digital manipulation. This process was then commonly called Multiple Printing in the UK. It is now known as Combination Printing dating back to the 18th century.
Hags work has been exhibited, published widely and collected by private individuals as well as institutions ranging from the National Portrait Gallery to the Texaco Collection. He has given lectures on his work throughout the UK and taught photography at Anglia Ruskin University’s Cambridge School of Art from 1996 to 2012. He became a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA) in 2010.
His commissioned work has featured individual portraits, book illustrations, magazines such as Vogue and the Sunday Times, record and CD covers plus a mural for the Pink Floyd. He has produced series of prints, posters, cards and postcards for a number of publishing companies notably Athena International. His work includes a number of instantly recognisable images that continue to resonate with the public consciousness.
1977 Crete, Self Portrait
The name ‘Hag’ is a nickname derived via ‘Hagis’ from ‘Hargreaves’ his surname in a Leeds school playground when he was aged seven.
Exhibitions
1967 Allerton Grange School, Leeds UK
1970 Royal Photographic Society. First student exhibition.
1971 Royal photographic society
1978 Everyman Theatre, Liverpool
1979 Photographers Gallery, London
1980 Open Eye Gallery, Liverpool
1980 Jordan Gallery, London
1980 “Young British Photographers “, Australian touring exhibition
1981 Collett Dickenson Pearce (CDP) Advertising Agency London
1981 John Shelley Library
1982 Contrasts Gallery, London
1983 Photographers Gallery, London
1984 Cambridge Darkroom, “Self Portraits”
1985 Benson and Hedges touring exhibition
1987 Black and Whites Gallery, London
1988 Keith Johnson’s Photographic
1989 Portfolio Gallery, “Aspects of Architecture.” London
1989 Photographers Gallery, “Machine Dreams” (Digital Imaging)
1990 Portfolio Gallery, Christmas show. London
1991 Portfolio Gallery, “Contemporary Male Nudes”
1992 Texaco Collection
1992 National Portrait Gallery, New Acquisitions
1996 Heffers Gallery Cambridge
1999 Eaton Gallery Brighton.
2002 C.R.C. Cambridge
2005 Special Photographers Gallery London
2006 Atelier East, Angles Theatre, Wisbech, Camb
2009 Padova Italy
2010 ‘Gone Tomorrow’ Gallery, Hastings
2010 Museum Alinari. Florence Italy
2010 National Portrait Gallery, New Acquisitions
2017 Gabbice Mare Italy
2023 Wisbech Gallery
2023 Babylon Gallery Ely
Publications
1971 British Journal of Photography
1978 British Journal of Photography
1980 You and your Camera
1980 Open Eye magazine
1981 Camera magazine
1981 The Darkroom Handbook. Michael Langford. Edbury Press
1982 The Encyclopedia of Photography. Michael Langford. Edbury Press
1982 Camera magazine
1982 The Photo magazine
1982 Camera magazine
1982 European Photographers FL’s medlemsavis, magazine, Denmark
1983 British Journal of Photography Annual
1983 Practical Photography magazine
1984 Darkroom magazine USA
1984 Signatures Catalogue, Cambridge Darkroom
1984 The Future, Sharmans calendar
1984 Camera magazine
1985 Creative Photography magazine
1986 Darkroom magazine USA
1987 – 1995, 19 Art Prints and Posters published (with cards and post cards)
1988 The Mind Gymnasium, Ghia Books
1989 The Complete Photographer, Gus Whylie, Octapus
1991 Front magazine, Japan
1991 Tokyo, Alpha Pollis. Japan
1994 Elton John Bernie Taupin, The Complete Lyrics, Pavilion
1997 R D Laing Creative Destroyer, Bob Mullan, Cassell
1999 Understanding Dreams, New Holland Press
2001 Photo Art International magazine
2007 “How Things Are” book of 57 of Hags photographs
2009 Ag Magazine book review ‘How Things are’
2013 International Journal of Colour Photography
2018 Mojo magazine issue 293. R D Laing
Picture Libraries
Pictor International, Getty Images, Special Photographers Picture Library
Currently Alamy International & Bridgeman Images
For enquiries or further information please email
Created by Hag without the use of a computer by Combination printing.
Collage Montage Surreal Photography.
