Tom Hunter

Tom Hunter is a British photographer, he studied for his MA at the Royal College of Art. He is Professor of Photography at London College of Communication, University of the Arts London.

Woman Reading a Possession Order - Tom Hunter

Tom Hunter took this picture in 1997 as part of his masters degree show at the Royal College of Art. He stated "The 17th-century golden age of Dutch painting had had a massive impact on me: the way they dealt with ordinary people, not kings, queens and generals. I thought if I could borrow their style for squatters and travellers, it would elevate their status." This shot was inspired by Vermeer's Girl Reading a Letter at an Open Window for which he reimagined as Woman Reading a Possession order. He used a large-format camera and Supachrome process to print it. He says "The exposure was about a second, so it was like sitting for a painting: she had to stand still. I was waiting for the light to pour into the lens, rather than snapping at something."

In 1998 ‘Woman Reading a Possession Order’ from his series ‘Persons Unknown’, won the Photographic Portrait Award at the National Portrait Gallery.

A Girl Reading At An Open Window - Vermeer

The Way Home - Tom Hunter

Ophelia - Sir John Everett Millais

I really like how Tom Hunter captures so many significant details in his remakes, but also how he adds a modern twist to the artwork. I want to do something similar with my work, keeping elements that make the artwork but adding my own edge.