James Ravilious: Rural Life

James Ravilious’s, photographs are composed with the eye of an artist, capturing subtle qualities of light to reflect the rural life and landscapes of North Devon in the 1970’s and 80’s. Taken for the Beaford Archive, to which he contributed well over 70,000 images, his photographs reveal real life in the fields, farms, and villages, portraying a traditional countryside on the brink of change. What started as a short-term project grew into a seventeen year obsession, depicting all aspects of rural life with an absolute honesty with his warm and sympathetic eye. His work is in numerous public collections and has been widely exhibited. Shortly before he died in 1999 he was given Honorary Membership of the Royal Photographic Society in recognition of his contribution to photography.

James Ravilious was born at Eastbourne, England, the second son of Eric Ravilious, the war artist, wood-engraver and designer.

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