Brian Griffin

Brian James Griffin (13 April 1948 – 27 January 2024) was a British photographer. His portraits of 1980s pop musicians led to him being named the "photographer of the decade" by The Guardian in 1989. His work is held in the permanent collections of the Arts Council, British Council, Victoria and Albert Museum and National Portrait Gallery, London.

Early life Griffin was born in Birmingham on 13 April 1948. He grew up in Lye, a town in the Black Country, an area of the British Midlands, and attended Halesowen Technical School. After joining a local camera club, Griffin studied (along with contemporaries Charlie Meecham, Daniel Meadows, Peter Fraser and Martin Parr) photography at the Manchester School of Art,

Career After college, Griffin moved to London to work as a fashion photographer. At the recommendation of Lester Bookbinder he instead took a job as a corporate photographer for the London-based business magazine Management Today, and later other publications, including Accountancy Age, Computing, and Marketing. Griffin himself was unsure of who came up with the term.

In 1989, The Guardian named Griffin "photographer of the decade". In the same year, he left photography behind to focus on TV commercials, music videos, and films. His work led him to photograph people such as British politician Sebastian Coe, actress Helen Mirren, chat show host Jonathan Ross and fashion designer/businesswoman Dame Vivienne Westwood.

Publications Brian Griffin. Self-published, 1978. Photographs by Griffin, drawings by Barney Bubbles. Edition of 500 copies. Power: British Management in Focus. London: Travelling Light, 1981. . With a text by Richard Smith and an introduction by Peter Parker. Open: Twenty One Photographs. Black Pudding, 1986. Edition of 350 copies ("standard edition") plus 65 copies ("collector's edition"). Work. Central Books, 1989. Pop. London: Gost, 2017. . With essays by Terry Rawlings and Paul Gorman. Mode. Self-published, 2023. . With contributions by Simon Helm and Roger K. Burton. Photographs of Depeche Mode.

Exhibitions Three Perspectives on Photography Hayward Gallery, London 1979 The Black Country, Collège des Bernardins, Paris, 2010/2011; New Art Gallery Walsall, 2011

Awards 1984: Most Outstanding Award for Photography, Design and Art Direction (for the album cover of Depeche Mode's A Broken Frame) 1987: Freedom of the City of Arles, Les Rencontres d'Arles 2006: Photographer of the Year, British Press Awards (shortlisted) 2013: Centenary Medal of the Royal Photographic Society for distinguished persons connected with the art or science of photography

Collections Griffin's work is held in the following permanent collections: Arts Council, UK National Portrait Gallery, London: 26 prints (as of September 2020)