Chris Chapman was born in Wigan, Lancashire in 1952. He began his photographic career at the Newport College of Art in South Wales where he was invited to join the Documentary Photography Course run by the Magnum photographer, David Hurn.

In 1975 he moved to Dartmoor, since when he has documented aspects of Dartmoor life. His photographs reflect traditional skills inherent in the indigenous population and emphasise the accumulation of knowledge associated with age and customs. He has a large archive depicting the culture and character of the region.

His photography has been widely recognised and is represented in both public and private collections, including those of the Victoria & Albert Museum in London, the Arts Council of England and the International Center of Photography in New York. His work has been published under various titles, including The Right Side of the Hedge (David & Charles), Dartmoor: The Threatened Wilderness (Channel 4) and Wild Goose and Riddon. The Dartmoor Photographs of Chris Chapman.

In the early 1990's he worked as presenter and photographer for a new HTV television series, Secrets of the Moor. Each series consisted of six programmes exploring the landscape, history and culture of the differing regions within the South West of England. Exmoor was featured in 1992, The Quantock Hills in 1994, The Somerset Levels in 1996, and The Mendip Hills in 1997.

A further series of eight programmes with photography as the central theme, Chris Chapman: On Assignment, was completed in 1998. All the above programmes were produced by the Bristol based television company, Available Light Productions.

In July 2000, Exeter Health Care Arts commissioned Chris to produce a body of work for the Tavy Elderly Day Care Ward at the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital. Following a theme of Positive Views of the Third Age the black and white images are portrayed with excerpts from interviews with his subjects. The project was completed in April 2001 and is on permanent display.

In August 2000 the Bristol based television company Icon Films, on behalf of HTV, commissioned Chris to document the Berkeley Estate in Gloucestershire. The estate has been in the same family for over 850 years. A series of four programmes, The Berkeley Estate with Chris as the presenter and photographer, explored life on the estate from August 2000 through to the spring of 2001 including the devastating effects of foot and Mouth disease. In May, Icon Films arranged a presentation at Berkeley Castle, where Chris gave the Berkeley family a leather-bound album containing the photographic record of their estate as it appeared at the beginning of the new millennium.

In April 2001 Beaford Arts commissioned Chris to make a photographic record of the effects of Foot and Mouth disease in North Devon. Concentrating on one contiguous farm, Silence at Ramscliffe documents everyday life on a farm through to the day of the cull. Two landscape photographs from this work, taken from roads in North Devon, were included in East of Eden, a large-scale exhibition exploring the theme of art, nature and society. (Some sixty artists were involved including John Virtue, Damien Hirst, Andy Goldsworthy, Thomas Joshua Cooper, Rebecca Early and Louise K Wilson. Details from Spacex Gallery 01392 431786). The exhibition Silence at Ramscliffe, was launched at Ramscliffe Farm, Beaford on the 9th of November 2002. The touring exhibition has visited a number of Westcounty venues, including the Royal Albert Memorial Museum, Exeter, Somerset County Museum, Burton Arts Gallery, Falmouth Arts Centre and Exeter Cathedral. Details from Beaford Arts 01805 603201 and info@beaford-arts.co.uk

Silence at Ramscliffe. Foot and Mouth in Devon
by Chris Chapman & James Crowden was published by The Bardwell Press in 2005. See publications

  

The first stage of the project is now complete and framed as an exhibition. It was first shown at the High Moorland Visitor Centre, Princetown in November 2001 and subsequently at Devon County Hall, Exeter in Spring 2002.

The project is seeking additional funding in order to explore further afield.

Details on 01822 617004
Email: tomgreeves@btconnect.com

The book, Wild Goose & Riddon, The Dartmoor Photographs of Chris Chapman was published in October 2000. (Hardback ISBN 1841140902). Celebrating 25 years of photographing the moor this major volume brought together over two hundred pictures with additional text.
The book was a runner up in the visual category of the Glenfiddich Food and Drink Awards 2001 and has been widely received. See publications for availability.

In Spring 2002 Chris appeared in BBC2's This Land series in the programme Dartmoor and presented a new series for HTV, Chris Chapman's West Country, with Available Light.

A two part series, The Tamar Valley for Carlton Television in Plymouth, was broadcast in April 2003.

A twelve part series on the history of the West Country, How the West was Made, was screened on ITV West from May 2006.

In the summer of 2005 Chris Chapman, as director/cameraman made his first film for Television for ITV West's Westcountry Profile series. Peter Randall-Page: Sculptor was broadcast on 11th October 2005.

A second film, Inspirations: Down on the Farm followed in March 2006. This was made for Teachers' TV and followed a seven day visit by Kelvin Grove School, Sydenham to the charity, Farms for City Children at Nethercott, Iddesleigh, Devon. In September 2005 Chris was commissioned by the charity to photograph life at Nethercott for a planned exhibition to celebrate their 30th anniversary in 2006. The new photographs are exhibited alongside those of the late James Ravilious taken in the 1970's.

The exhibition Nethercott: a Celebration of 30 Years. Photographs by Chris Chapman and James Ravilious opened at Exeter Phoenix on May 18th 2006.

In 2006/2007 Chris presented a six part series, Secrets of the Cotswolds for Available Light in Bristol, which was broadcast on ITV West in the late summer of 2007. He also filmed for a programme on the subject of small schools in Devon for Teachers' TV, a collaboration with Kate King and produced by Available Light.

In the autumn of 2007, in collaboration with Kate King, Chris was awarded a grant from the Dartmoor Sustainable Development Fund to produce an independent film about Dartmoor. The twelve-month assignment will tell the story of Dartmoor from its geological beginnings, revealing its rich archaeological heritage, the development of its resources, farming, future and potential for sustainability. Devon County Council, Devon Arts Culture and the Dartmoor National Park Authority are also supporting the project.

In April 2008, Chris received an award from The Dartmoor Society for 'his outstanding documentary photography of people and place'.