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He has said: "In 1969 I embarked on a lifetime project.... I was living and working in the first world, materially that is, but becoming more aware of inequalities to the third world, to be more specific the Black World. As a Black photographer I started to realise I had no social documentary images
237:(now Autograph ABP). He was the official photographer for Africa '05, a major celebration of African arts held throughout 2005 in the UK. Francis was one of three pioneering Jamaican-born photographers – the others being
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in my work.... I went back in 1969.... I had been away 14 years, it would take another 14 years to make sense of this project." Following his participation at
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118:-born photographer and publisher who has lived in London since the 1950s. He has been documenting and chronicling the lives of people of the
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282:(1964), a curiously intimate and honest image showing Armet setting up his shot directly in front of a mirror," noted the reviewer for
185:
photographic studio, and going on to forge a career as a freelance photographer for fashion magazines and advertising campaigns.
292:: "Self-portraiture is something of a sub-theme, with Armet Francis' tender yet assertive self-portrait leading the exhibit."
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acquired the "Roots to
Reckoning archive", comprising 90 photographs of London's black community from the 1960s to the 1980s.
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165:, in rural Jamaica, in 1945. He was left in the care of his grandparents at the age of three when his parents moved to
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conducted an interview (C459/214) with
Francis in 2013 for its Oral History of British Photography collection.
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In
February 2022, Francis was named in CasildART's list of the top six Black British photographers, alongside
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173:'s Oral History of British Photography, Francis spoke of growing up as the only black child in a school in
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660:"Important Afro-Caribbean photographic archive acquired for Museum of London with Art Fund help"
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1017:"Life Between Islands review – a mind-altering portrait of British Caribbean life through art"
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278:. "The arresting first image in the V&A museum is Jamaican photographer Armet Francis's
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was produced four years later. He was a contributing photographer in the survey issue of
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Transforming the Crown: African, Asian & Caribbean artists in
Britain, 1966–1996
169:, England, where Francis joined them seven years later in 1955. Interviewed for the
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795:"Afro-Caribbeans in UK: Roots to Reckoning Photo Archive at the Museum of London"
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He has exhibited worldwide and his work is in collections including those of the
1102:
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878:"Staying Power: Photographs of Black British Experience 1950s–1990s – Review"
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190:
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Roots to
Reckoning – photos by Armet Francis, Neil Kenlock, Charlie Phillips
557:"Photography | Francis, Armet (1 of 6) Oral History of British Photography"
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201:, he became devoted to photographing the people of the African diaspora.
153:. One of his best known photographs is 1964's "Self Portrait in Mirror".
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series was exhibited there in 1983. He published a book also entitled
814:"Staying Power: Photographs of Black British Experience, 1950s–1990s"
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388:
Staying Power: Photographs of Black
British Experience, 1950s – 1990s
193:(the Second World Black and African Festival of Arts and Culture) in
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638:"Oral history at the British Library: what else has been happening?"
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He became the first Black photographer to have a solo exhibition at
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177:. After leaving school at 14, he worked for an engineering firm in
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for more than 40 years and his assignments have included work for
198:
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51:
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Works by
Francis are held in the following public collections:
166:
990:"Get Up, Stand Up Now: Generations of Black Creative Pioneers"
921:"Reflections of the Black Experience – 10 Black Photographers"
776:"Black History Month 2005 – From Roots To Reckoning In Photos"
494:
222:
194:
833:"Black, British and proud: 50 years of struggle and triumph"
402:
Get Up, Stand Up Now, Generations of Black
Creative Pioneers
620:"Best photographs from the V&A collection, in pictures"
347:
Reflections of the Black
Experience: 10 Black Photographers
135:
697:"Festac '77 – Catalogue relating to an exhibition, 1977"
559:, The British Library, 2013. Retrieved 1 February 2018.
503:. Seed, 2005. Exhibition catalogue with introduction by
710:"Critical Decade: Black British Photography in the 80s"
245:– whose work was showcased in the 2005/2006 exhibition
601:"It is our Black History Month – Passing the Baton on"
434:
The Black
Triangle: The People of the African Diaspora
371:
Roots to Reckoning: the photography of Armet Francis,
895:"Top Six Black British Photographers You Should Know"
412:
Life Between Islands: Caribbean-British Art 1950s–Now
228:
Critical Decade: Black British Photography in the 80s
642:
National Life Stories: Review and Accounts 2013/2014
477:. Coordinated and edited by Francis and Olga Graham.
16:
Jamaican-born photographer and publisher (born 1945)
1008:
270:, the collaborative project mounted in 2015 by the
972:aavad.com African American Visual Artists Database
330:The Black Triangle: People of the African Diaspora
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266:Photographs by Francis featured prominently in
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286:, while Brennavan Sritharan commented in the
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181:, before finding a job as an assistant in a
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495:Publications with contributions by Francis
861:"Insider's Guide: Staying Power, V&A"
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233:In 1988, Francis was a co-founder of the
1154:Jamaican emigrants to the United Kingdom
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530:, London: 25 prints (as of October 2018)
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253:, which in 2009 with the assistance of
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340:
685:"Biographies: Photo Evolution 2000"
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323:
13:
1134:21st-century British photographers
1129:20th-century British photographers
1015:Cumming, Laura (5 December 2021).
762:, Issue 179, 10 March 2008, p. 21.
235:Association of Black Photographers
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687:, Artslink.co.za, 18 August 2000.
599:Mia Morris and Maureen Roberts,
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581:. Victoria & Albert Museum
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447:Children of the Black Triangle
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289:British Journal of Photography
218:Children of the Black Triangle
1:
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359:, Caribbean Cultural Center,
396:Victoria & Albert Museum
226:vol. 2, no. 3, 1992, titled
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147:Victoria & Albert Museum
114:(born 29 January 1945) is a
7:
1144:Black British photographers
131:The Sunday Times Supplement
10:
1185:
528:Victoria and Albert Museum
334:The Photographers' Gallery
272:Victoria and Albert Museum
206:The Photographers' Gallery
161:Armet Francis was born in
1164:Photographers from London
1149:Documentary photographers
1068:"Photographic Brilliance"
579:"Armet Francis biography"
93:
82:
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30:
23:
816:, BBC, 16 February 2015.
714:new.diaspora-artists.net
644:, British Library, p. 7.
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365:Bronx Museum of the Arts
216:the following year, and
948:. Ben Uri Research Unit
392:Black Cultural Archives
361:Studio Museum in Harlem
280:Self-portrait in Mirror
276:Black Cultural Archives
1159:Jamaican photographers
946:"Armet Francis artist"
754:30 August 2012 at the
610:, Black History Month.
449:. Africa World, 1989.
163:Saint Elizabeth Parish
1139:Black British history
1047:collections.vam.ac.uk
1043:"Your Search Results"
978:on 28 September 2015.
876:Brennavan Sritharan,
1169:Street photographers
784:, 30 September 2005.
736:"roots to reckoning"
606:4 March 2016 at the
1072:Aesthetica Magazine
839:, 16 February 2015.
738:, 26 February 2006.
699:, Diaspora Artists.
625:The Daily Telegraph
351:Brixton Art Gallery
261:The British Library
467:Counting in Rhymes
274:(V&A) and the
247:Roots to Reckoning
214:The Black Triangle
210:The Black Triangle
125:The Times Magazine
104:Roots to Reckoning
100:The Black Triangle
996:. 31 January 2019
901:. 7 February 2022
747:Siobhan Silbert,
341:Group exhibitions
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382:Museum of London
377:Charlie Phillips
367:, New York, 1997
324:Solo exhibitions
297:Charlie Phillips
251:Museum of London
239:Charlie Phillips
175:London Docklands
151:Museum of London
120:African diaspora
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952:27 February
930:27 February
851:, Art Fund.
732:Molara Wood
519:Collections
418:, 2021/2022
319:Exhibitions
59:Nationality
1113:Categories
1078:30 October
1052:30 October
925:Brixton 50
541:References
191:Festac '77
67:Occupation
37:1945-01-29
899:CasildART
781:Culture24
157:Biography
140:Channel 4
1000:24 April
905:16 April
752:Archived
664:Art Fund
604:Archived
536:, London
363:, 1997;
255:Art Fund
183:West End
149:and the
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199:Nigeria
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136:BBC
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