From old industrial heartlands to rural hinterlands, Julian has drawn inspiration from the places he has lived, whether it be the North of England or the far West of Wales. Brought up in Scunthorpe, he now lives very much off grid in Cardigan, Wales.
In reflection of this, Julian is very much a topographic photographer (someone who attempts to capture human altered landscapes). Yet you won't find any significant landmarks in his work, but instead 'the overlooked, the unseen and the unnoticed' edges of places - be it urban backstreets or rustic caravans.
“I’m drawn to the overlooked, the unseen and the unnoticed.”
Living in the far West of Wales in Cardigan, Julian lives an incredibly organic life, where he and his partner grow most of their own food. Though, much like their vegetables, his work too grows organically.
Chatting over an Americano in Swansea's Glyn Vivian Art Centre, I point out the window over a rather windy and cold April's day and ask Julian whether he would still shoot if the weather didn't suit his style of photography.
'My work adapts to the surroundings.'
Yet Julian informs me that adaptation is what constitutes his style of photography in the first place; hence for all the rustic caravans, street signs and overcast days that feature in his work - it's because these things are what most often surround him (perhaps not a surprise in Wales, where it's forever rainy and overcast!).