Biography
Born 1974, Bridgend, Wales, UK, Dan is a documentary photographer based in Wales. Predominantly self-taught, he came to photography through the skateboard sub-culture. His work primarily concentrates on people and place and the projects he produces often echo subtle hints of personal history bound with a narrative and social commentary that he aspires to describe visually.
Dan is the author of 4 monographs:
- Suicide Machine - 2015 - Another Place Press
- Huldufolk - 2017 - Self-Published
- Gap in the Hedge - Another Place Press
- Pove the Great - 2019 - Self Published
His work is held at several UK based galleries including The Martin Parr Foundation, Bristol and MMX Gallery, London. He has been featured in many publications and has participated in over 45 exhibitions both nationally and internationally; including 6 solo shows.
Dan lives in Wales with his wife and two children.
Portfolio
Suicide Machine
The initial idea for Suicide Machine came about in 2009 whilst checking into Gatwick Airport, London for a flight. After checking my passport the desk attendant asked, "Bridgend, isn't that where all the suicides are?" It then became clear to me that the town where I was born, grew up in and still live, was now not only infamous but synonymous with suicide.
It wasn’t until a few years later - 2013 - that I decided to start documenting “The Town With No Hope” and the people who, like me, live there. Where is Bridgend going wrong? Is it still tainted by the distressing past events? On the surface, it is just like any other town. In fact, it's probably a step above other towns due to its near-perfect location, lying alongside the M4 corridor, a mere two and a half hours drive from London. Additionally, Bridgend sits just ten minutes away from beautiful coastlines and wonderful valleys and is twenty minutes equidistant between Wales' two main cities of Cardiff and Swansea.
The aim of the project is to rediscover Bridgend and determine if it’s as generic, oppressive and regressive as the tabloids and other media outlets made out at the time of the suicides. What does the future hold for Bridgend; a town that is slowly being constricted by supermarkets and out of town developments? Does happiness exist here? Why has there been an exodus of most of my friends? Is aesthetic regeneration really the answer? Where is the culture? And most importantly, what kind of town will my Children ultimately grow up in?
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