Brief Biography

Brief Biography

Ralph is a film maker, photographer and workshop facilitator.

His creative practice engages Ralph's fascination with artificial light and photography that has committed him to a life long learning process.

Ralph started making nocturnal long exposure photographs in 1981 while on holiday in France, by 1997 he had completed an M.A. in European Fine Art and began making site specific installations and commissioned work featuring long exposure photographs of nocturnal landscapes which he refers to as 'Lightscapes'.

During a residency at the Watershed Media Centre in 1998, Ralph started using a drawing with torch light process and has been subsequently engaged by a variety of formal and informal institutions to facilitate 'Lights, Camera, Drawing' workshops.

In 2003 a brief odyssey into journalism brought Ralph up to speed with digital photography and soon after he became involved with the BBC 90 Second Challenge which introduced Ralph to the delight's of digital film making.

Since which Ralph has won two artists residencies, during which he abridged & animated Ludwig Wittgensteins 'Tractatus Logico Philosophicus' and Rutland Boughton's opera 'The Immortal Hour'.

With over 50 shorts behind him Ralph's most screened works are the four animations, Essence 2005, Ludwig Light 2006, The Cupboard Monster 2008 and The Immortal Hour 2009, which he made using the process of drawing with torch light.

In 2009 'The Bristol Zebra' a no budget short made in collaboration with nine poets from Bristol playing a game of poetical consequences won the 'Bluescreen - Shambala' audience award.

Ralph has exhibited photographs and animations in over 120 exhibitions and film festivals across Europe, the America's and Asia since 1994.

NB: The Immortal Hour 2009 is not available for viewing on the web if you would like to it please get in touch at ralphcolmar@gmail.com