Mike Gilchrist worked in the field of education for over 20 years. During that time he used visual media as a central role in the delivery of the curriculum. His involvement of, and proficiency with, photography, both in his professional work and 'outside' life, led to him being commissioned by BBC Television and Channel 4 to supply images to support various television programmes and printed materials.
He has been commissioned by The Guardian newspaper on a consistent basis to supply photographs to support many editorial features. Eurotunnel commissioned him for editorial materials, exhibition and advertising images to involve the public in the development of the huge building project.
His work can also be found in books produced by Penguin and associated publishers.
His work, often utilising familiar subject matter, shows a discriminating eye for composition and detail, be it a crack in a wall, the reflections from bent steel or a late evening sunlit valley.
“The photograph and other art media should not be excluded from each other. Both entities can inform and combine sympathetically and become united in one media. You can break down the colour palette in a photograph to the most basic so that form and line take over from mere representation”
He is at present working on a project capturing the moods and shifts in skyscapes.
“The sky is probably the aspect of nature which has the most primordial affect on our day to day lives. It affects our moods and emotions, what we do, what we plan to do. It can make us gasp in wonder or really oppress us”
He now lives on the Essex/Suffolk borders.
He has exhibited in galleries in London, Glasgow, Brighton, East Anglia, New York, Italy, Germany, France and Greece