Andrew Rafferty’s first exhibition was on the ancient sites of Britain, and was quickly spotted by publisher Century Hutchinson who went on to publish his essay of 69 monochrome images with an accompanying text by award-winning-writer Kevin Crossley-Holland with the title The Stones Remain (Century Hutchinson, 1989). Since then Rafferty has explored many other themes, including the natural landmarks of Britain. Part of this collection was published by Cape to accompany David Craig’s Landmarks (Jonathan Cape, 1995). A fascination with graffiti and why we all wish to leave our mark somewhere and especially on stone led him to create a photographic exhibition where the images were printed on stone itself (1998–99).1 The commission to make a personal response and record of the construction of London’s new City Hall designed by Foster and Partners, took his work into new territory in which he photographed the building during the process of construction and captured both the work place and the workers (2000–05).2 An interpretation of the Christian Passion was displayed at the Phoenix Arts Gallery, Brighton, (2001). Rafferty revisited the Passion and created a second exhibition which was displayed at the Crypt Gallery of St Pancras Church, London (2010).3 Rafferty’s interests and in-depth research of each subject has enabled him to amass a unique collection of British historical and literary landscape images. Rafferty’s work has been shown in professional and amateur photographic publications as well as newspapers and magazines. He has been interviewed about his work on radio and in print and his work is held in both public and private collections, notably by Ernst and Young whose HQ on the South Bank in London displays no fewer than 113 images and City Hall who hold sixteen large-scale works. His latest work with Crossley-Holland, which started with the publication Seahenge: A Journey (Kailpot Press, 2019), uses movement in every image with results that are expressionistic.
