Tony Ray-Jones

© Tony Ray Jones /Science & Society Picture Library

United Kingdom  |  1941–1972

„My advice about photography? Stay on
topic and be patient. Vary the angles.
Be aware of the composition. Stop taking
boring photos and talk to people. Simplify
your images, get closer, don’t shoot too
much, and never keep yourself
at a distance from the scene.“

Tony Ray-Jones

Tony Ray-Jones is one of those artists who left this world too soon. Despite having lived a mere thirty years, his name is now inextricably linked to English photography. After training at the London College of Printing and then at Yale in the United States, he discovered the vitality of the then-American photography scene, driven by leading street photographers such as Garry Winogrand, Lee Friedlander and Joel Meyerowitz.

Upon his return to the UK, he travelled around the seaside resorts of Blackpool, Margate and Brighton, paying close attention to the details that encapsulated English life at the time: elegant outfits, picnics thwarted by the rain and other little social rituals. His style, characterised by empathy mingled with irony and spontaneity, opened up a new path for photography. He offered a new perspective on his fellow Brits’ habits and ways, without ever resorting to needless malice. Curious about everything and keen to get off the beaten track, this young prodigy was driven by an insatiable yet methodological appetite for photography, enhancing each of his mischievous shots with flawless artistic composition. His work was uncovered at the time by a then young photographer, for whom it turned out to be a revelation. That photographer’s name? Martin Parr! Without Tony Ray-Jones, Martin Parr probably wouldn’t have found his life’s calling.

Tony Ray-Jones died of leukaemia in 1972, aged just 31, leaving behind a brief yet profound, comprehensive body of work that remains overlooked in France. As is often the case in such circumstances, the value of Ray-Jones’ photography was only truly recognised after his death. His contact sheets reflect his desire to capture the “English soul” at both its most trivial and universal. Today, just like many major artists after their death, Tony Ray-Jones’ influence is still growing. He continues to inspire many photographers who, consciously or not, relate to his passion for observing and capturing life’s little idiosyncrasies.