John Wood

Celine is proud to present the first-ever solo exhibition by John Wood (b. 1947, Glasgow), curated by Steven Grainger.

The black-and-white medium-format portraits in this show were made between the 1980s and the early 2010s in Wood's Hyndland flat, where he lived for almost forty years and where he housed his photographic studio and darkroom. The images he made were almost exclusively of male sitters who were friends, partners, and men who lived in or had fleeting encounters with Glasgow, all part of Wood's extended network. Wood frequently printed his work in duplicate, keeping one set and gifting the other to his sitter.

The selection of photographs presented consists primarily of studio portraits, with subjects addressing the camera in various states of dress and undress. They range from close head-and-shoulders to full-length figures, set against black, grey and white grounds – or the backdrop of a domestic interior. Through his sustained practice, Wood has accumulated an intimate archive of his immediate relationships and extended social networks, producing a wealth of imagery shaped by his connection with his sitters and the medium.

John Wood has made photographs since his teenage years, but his practice became more serious when he began working in medium-format. He worked in the sound department at BBC Scotland in the 1970s before spending the rest of his career as a telecommunications engineer with British Telecom. Alongside these roles, he worked as a freelance commercial photographer, taking commissions from clients including the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra.

Selected in discussion with Wood, this exhibition brings together a striking selection of portraits from his extensive archive, sharing them with a public audience for the first time.

The exhibition will be open on Saturdays, 12 - 5 pm, or by appointment
To book a time of mutual convenience in advance, please get in touch via Instagram or email - contact@galleryceline.com