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"In a way I was taking pictures without a camera. So when I actually got a camera, I started to photograph family and friends."
In this video self-taught artist Armet Francis discusses how he made his way into and through the photographic industry. He discusses his experiences of discrimination in the industry, and the importance of creating and valuing your own archives.
Armet Francis (born 1945, Jamaica) is best known for his social documentary, advertising, and fashion images. He began working in a commercial photographic studio as a teenager, going on to forge a career shooting commissions for holiday camps, and assignments for The Times Magazine, The Sunday Times, BBC and Channel 4 amongst others.
His early images offer a personal record of the world around him, capturing the essence of black British identity; in 1969 he began his now celebrated project The Black Triangle: People of the African Diaspora and Children of the Black Triangle.
Francis’s works have been shown in exhibitions including Life Between Islands: Caribbean-British Art 1950s-Now, Tate Britain (2021); Get Up, Stand Up Now! Generations of Black Creative Pioneers, Somerset House (2019); In a Different Light: New Acquisitions, Autograph, London (2017); Staying Power: Photographs of Black British Experience 1950s-1990s, Black Cultural Archives and V&A (2015); Roots to Reckoning: The Photography of Armet Francis, Neil Kenlock and Charlie Phillips, Museum of London (2005); Reflections of the Black Experience: 10 Black Photographers, Brixton Art Gallery (1986); Armet Francis: The Black Triangle Series: People of the African Diaspora, The Photographers' Gallery (1983); Armet Francis, Commonwealth Institute (1974) amongst others.
His works are held in public collections including Autograph, British Library, Museum of London, Science Museum Group and the Victoria and Albert Museum amongst others.
Our series providing tips on best practice in the photographic industry
See more This video was produced in 2017 for Autograph's project In a Different Light. Supported by Heritage Lottery Fund. Also supported using public funding by Arts Council England.
Autograph is a place to see things differently. Since 1988, we have championed photography that explores issues of race, identity, representation, human rights and social justice, sharing how photographs reflect lived experiences and shape our understanding of ourselves and others.
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