The story of
William Josephs Radford
William Josephs Radford is a thought-provoking contemporary photographer and artist hailing from the raw countryside of rural Andalucía, Spain
Born on August 23, 1998, Radford’s artistic journey has been characterized by a relentless pursuit of pushing artistic boundaries and challenging conventional thought processes.
From an early age, Radford displayed a keen artistic talent, often seen with a pencil in hand at his local village school. His fascination with cameras ignited at the age of 15, setting him on a path towards fine art photography. Eager to refine his skills and expand his artistic horizons, Radford pursued formal education at the University of Gloucestershire, where he studied fine art photography.
Throughout his career, Radford has developed a distinctive style characterized by striking compositions and subject matters that aim to challenge his audience. His work draws inspiration from the transgressive art movement, seeking to break free from prior definitions of art and explore controversial themes. With a preference for the light-painting technique, Radford painstakingly crafts his scenes through layered light and long exposures, skillfully employing color to further engage with his subjects.
Radford’s artistic endeavors have garnered critical acclaim and recognition. His series “DEFLOWERED” was nominated for the 9th Fine Art Photography Awards in 2023, and he was selected as an “Artist to Watch” by the Artist Database in 2022. Additionally, his work has been featured in publications such as Altiba-9 Magazine, Divide Magazine, and Harpers Magazine, further solidifying his place in the contemporary art scene.
Photography quotes
Artist Statement
In the interest of respectfully provoking a reaction and luring the audiences thought process outside the box. The suggestive work aims at challenging artistic concepts through traditional methods and conventions. The vision being to make a statement with my artwork, and break boundaries through a gallery environment.
I have always enjoyed the surreal aspect of photography. When I started as a teenager, I would remove ordinary household furniture from their immediate environment, placing them into obscure surroundings. The lounge armchair in a river, the kitchen rocking chair on top of a mountain. Further developing this interest in the unusual, my recent work continues to follow this path. Whilst attempting to dissect some sensitive topics of our generation. Including; Gender identity, voyeurism and religion.
Heavily influenced by transgression and controversy, I find a great deal of inspiration in movements which reject prior definitions of art, in order to progress. More specifically, the likes of Andress Serrano, Sophie Calle and Sally Mann have impacted my vocation.
Storyline
- 1998
Born in Marbella, Spain.
- 2014
Fell in love with cameras at a young age, and decided to completely change my field of study. Dithching Science and Biology for an art degree.
- 2016
Graduated from the Fine Art Baccalaureate with outstanding grades, whilst pursuing photography with a fierce passion.
- 2017
Travelled Australia for 6 months, before being accepted at the University of Gloucestershire to study Fine-art Photography.
- 2020
After graduating with a first class degree I continued to explore the artform, constantly falling deeper in love with it.
- 2021
Gained recognition from the likes of Harper’s Magazine, Saatchi Art, The 7th Fine art photography awards, F-Stop Magazine, Medium, and many more.
- 2022
Won Artjobs’ artist of the month, got featured on the inner front cover of Al-tiba9 Magazine, Sold my first original artwork.
- Today
Seeking out new and exciting opportunities!