The north as a fantasy playground: The landscape photography of Raymond Moore

Abstract

The photographer Raymond Moore (1920-87) who was born in Wallasey, studied painting at the Royal College of Art and in the mid-70s, taught photography at the influential Trent Polytechnic in Nottingham. In 1981, Moore was the first British photographer to have a retrospective at the Hayward Gallery, London. There are two published monographs of his work, Murmurs at Every Turn (1981) and Every So Often (1983). Although Moore’s work drew influence from European and American sources, his work has a characteristically British undertone. Since his death in 1987, photography’s expanded field of practice has emerged, freeing artists and photographers to explore themes and concerns beyond the established silos of practice of documentary and landscape. Moore’s photographic career overlapped several significant points in the history of the medium, yet his highly individualised practice sat outside both established and emerging conventions. Despite this rich complexity, a continuing legal uncertainty over the legacy of Raymond Moore’s archive has prevented a critical reevaluation of his work – his work is no longer accessible and as such, has not been exhibited or republished like many of his contemporaries.