Dave Thomas
David Thomas was born in 1940 just outside of Glasgow in a county then known as Renfrewshire. After school he studied at Glasgow School of Art from 1957 to 1962, graduating in that year with a diploma in painting (BA), now known as ‘Fine Art’.
During the latter part of that course he became increasingly fascinated by, and drawn to, film and photography as a means of expression. No small part in this obsession was played by his being totally seduced visually by the French and Italian ‘new wave’ cinema of that late fifties and early sixties era. To someone restricted by the traditions of the Glasgow school of painting, and the mainstream production of American and British film, this was surely the road to freedom, salvation, and Nirvana?
Various short-lived, and mutually unproductive jobs followed graduation, until in 1965 he set himself up (somewhat recklessly) as a freelance photographer in Glasgow, taking on advertising, portrait and fashion work, in addition to his own personal documentary pictures. Many of these, from 1963 onwards, centred on social and political issues (the wholesale destruction and ‘reconstruction’ of the Gorbals, the changing face of Glasgow, etc) and also the dying days of steam locomotion within Scotland.
In late 1967 he was offered a teaching post at Leeds College of Art, and so a move to West Yorkshire took place in January 1968. This was significant in two respects. Firstly it meant the ability to explore the North and North East England. And secondly, since the job specified that time should be spent as a ‘practising professional’, the contract allowed time for this. So began a period of working extensively in the rich visual territory of South and West Yorkshire. His work was first published in the BJP (Oct 1969) and subsequently in Creative Camera, and Life magazine amongst others.
The first major exhibition was at Impressions Gallery in York, which had pioneered the concept of photo galleries, and was called ‘The Work of The Weavers’, an exploration of the West Yorkshire woollen industry. Several other long-term projects were also started during this time including ‘Ramshackles’ (a celebration of alternative architecture) in 1975, Appleby Horse Fair. In 1973 he quit teaching and returned to freelance photography based in Leeds. Clients included the Halifax, BBC Television, and many regional and national advertising agencies. He also continued to produce personal work, being a founder member of ‘Northlight’, a co-operative based in Leeds, and in particular the long-term project of ‘Ramshackles’, before returning to teaching in 1984, moving to the north east and teaching at Cleveland College of Art & Design.
His first major regional exhibition was at Darlington Arts Centre, ‘Ramshackles’, 1986/87, which has since toured many venues in the UK, including Side Gallery. He has continued to work around the themes of people and landscape, some in liaison with Amber Side, including a 1992 project on the Blue Circle cement works.
Eastgate Cement Works
from: Photography
A documentation of the Blue Circle cement works at Eastgate in Weardale, County Durham, 1991.
Appleby Horse Fair
from: Photography
A documentation of the annual gathering in the North of England of travellers and others involved in horse culture, developed over the fairs that took place in 1969 and 1970.