Thomas Ranahan

Artist statement

Over the last two years I have concentrated solely on taking photographs. After working across different media over the the years I have finally found that photography truly unlocks my creative potential. It came as something of a revelation that the images I have produced express my individual response to the world around me. From the city that I grew up in (Birmingham) to places of strong cultural and personal significance-such as the West of Ireland. I use photography to examine my emotive response to my environment. The bizarre and quirky or humorous is another element in my work.

Since 2009 I have embarked on a new studio based type of work. This has involved using Maps and jigsaw fragments as well as toy soldiers which are placed together and then photographed. The Maps are got via ebay or through the Map section in the Library. They are carefully selected to serve as the back drop for works that centre around nationality, cultural identity, historic and political meaning. Waddington jigsaws produced a series of Maps of countries around the world in the 1960's aswell as subjects that were seen as educational in ethos. However in the C21st these ideas seem stereotypical and overtaken by the tide of time. These works are play with the visual attractiveness of the objects as well as engaging the viewer on a number of different levels.

I am still continuing my more familiar style of photography and have began to use black and white photography for the first time.