I can’t recall when was my first encounter with the works of Keith Arnatt but safe to say that he brought a lot of laughter to me.
I mean, what kind of shit photographer photographs shit and makes them so beautiful?
He is so trashily GREAT. He was the one who reminded me to open my eyes and just look at the surrounding. Everything is photographable.
In an exhibition at the Tate Britain which I was fortunate enough to see, Arnatt was shown next to many of his peers, including ‘bigger names’ like Martin Parr and Chris Killip.
And I have always wondered if Arnatt is a little self-deprecating like myself. Is he protesting too much with his title I’m a Real Photographer? Perhaps for too long, he has been ignored by the art/photography world.
But seriously, he was the one who show me that even stickies are worth our focus.
I’ve no doubt that Mr Keith Arnatt is a Really Really Great Photographer.
