Norman McBeath is an independent photographer, based in Edinburgh, whose work focuses on people and places. The National Portrait Galleries in London and Edinburgh have over fifty of his portraits in their permanent collections. The Australian National Portrait Gallery in Canberra has also acquired two of his portraits. His work has been shown widely in the UK and overseas including ‘Beyond Beirut’, an exhibition commissioned by the British Council which was shown in London, the Middle East and North Africa. His work has been shown as part of exhibitions at the Leica Gallery in New York, the National Portrait Gallery in London, the Scottish National Portrait Gallery in Edinburgh, the Royal Scottish Academy in Edinburgh, Gracefield Arts Centre, Dumfries and the Royal Academy of Arts in London.

A number of award-winning writers have produced original work in response to his photographs including Jeanette Winterson (Oxford at Night, 2006), A. L. Kennedy (Evidence, 2006) and Janice Galloway (City Stories, 2008). ‘Oxford at Night’ was shown at the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford, the first exhibition in the museum’s history by a living photographer. He has recently collaborated with two leading poets:  Plan B (Enitharmon Press, 2009) with the Pulitzer Prize-winner and former Professor of Poetry at Oxford, Paul Muldoon;  Simonides, (Easel Press, 2011) with Robert Crawford, Professor of Modern Scottish Literature at the University of St Andrews.

Norman McBeath’s work in the National Portrait Gallery’s permanent collection can be seen  here.
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Norman McBeath
Simondes
SIMONIDES

Published to coincide with an exhibition at Edinburgh College of Art as part of the 2011 Edinburgh Art Festival, Simonides (Easel Press, 2011) is a collaboration with one of the country’s leading poets, Robert Crawford, Professor of Modern Scottish Literature at the University of St Andrews. The book features twenty-five black and white, duotone photographs paired with texts translated from ancient Greek into Scots (and English) by Robert Crawford. The title is the name of an ancient Greek poet most known for his epitaphs and work to do with memory.  BBC Radio 4 is broadcasting a programme in late November 2011 that is centred on Simonides and the collaboration between Robert Crawford and Norman McBeath.

Copies of Simonides can be bought here

All photographs on this site are copyright and cannot be used without permission.
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