Blackburn - Ball, Christopher John

. .

Biographie:
Christopher John Ball BA (Hons) MA is a widely exhibited and published, award winning, London based, fine arts photographer, writer, campaigner, reviewer, curator, arts juror and lecturer. With over 45 years experience as an artist, his work is held within public and private collections worldwide. Christopher is a passionate advocate for the rights of artists and for the preservation of public arts funding. His art work, views and opinions are very much in demand and he has contributed articles on photography, the arts, politics, philosophy and other topics for various international publications and media outlets. Christopher is proud to be involved in the 'Film is Fabulous!' initiative, a vital new project dedicated to preserving the UK's rich film heritage. Film is a fragile medium, and many films are lost each year due to neglect, deterioration, or simply being disposed of in landfills. 'Film Is Fabulous' is supported by a number of important organisations, including De Montfort University's Cinema and Television History Institute (CATHI) and the Media Archive for Central England (MACE). He has also worked in film and theatre. ''Throwing Stones: What's in your family album?'' was co-written by Christopher John Ball and Dean Sipling. Performed in 2005 at the Greenwich Playhouse, a revised version of 'Throwing Stones' was published in November 2013. Given that he has been disabled since youth, Chris maintains an active role in the campaign to promote disability awareness and rights. Drawing inspiration from philosophy, film, music and disability politics; Chris believes that how we see ourselves, alongside our objectification by the camera, society and the state, takes the form of an existential challenge and his work is an exploration of this rationale. Whilst his work covers both social documentary and fine art, his methodology is consistent throughout. His images explore and play with the 'sense of distance', 'lack of access', the 'mundane banality of modern life'. The themes of a 'sense of distance' and 'lack of access' have become increasingly important to Christopher as his disability deteriorates. The reaction of 'others' to a visible impairment can often be hostile leaving one feeling an 'outsider' 'looking in' 'abject' and 'kept out'.