Alison Jackson, a contemporary, BAFTA and multi award-winning artist, photographer and filmmaker explores the cult of celebrity – an extraordinary phenomenon manufactured by the media, publicity industries and the public figures themselves. Jackson raises questions about how we can’t tell what is real or not anymore, and how we don’t care. She creates convincingly realistic photographs, films and sculpture depicting celebrities doing things in private, images that we have all imagined but never seen before, using cleverly styled lookalikes. One foot in truth and the other one foot in fantasy. Jackson raises questions about how we think we know celebrities intimately but very few of us have met them for real. Her work is an exploration of our insatiable desire to get personal with public personalities, raising questions questioning about the power and seductive nature of imagery inciting voyeurism and our need to believe – you can’t rely on your perception when it comes to photography. Jackson challenges our preconceptions through imagery. Jackson takes portraits of (real!) famous actors, politicians and celebrities, collected by Museum collections, such as at the National Portrait Gallery, The Parliamentary Art Collection in London and SF MOMA, San Francisco amongst many others.

In 2019 Jackson founded and launched the photography initiative Young Local Artists, A Day in Your Life Photography for young aspiring photographers from under-represented, minority backgrounds and people living with disabilities, which offers photography workshops, programs, competition and exhibition of the works to cultivate, nurture and celebrate the future creatives of tomorrow. Anyone who hasn’t had a chance to showcase their talent yet – A Day in Your Life can provides creative lifelines but also life-changing opportunity for all ages: from 7 5upwards. Jackson mentors young people and is a Member of the Alumni Council for The Royal College of Art; Ambassador to the K&C Foundation; Ambassador to the Spinal Injuries Association. Jackson supports a number of charities, including MacMillan Cancer Support, Marie-Curie, Jeans for Genes Day and Cancer Research UK amongst others. She has published numerous books including Private Confidential, by Penguin, Confidential by Taschen, Up the Aisle, Stern Private. Her work has been acquired by many public museum collections including The Parliamentary Art Collection, London; The National Portrait Gallery, London; SF MOMA, San Francisco;London; Musée de la Photographie, Charleroi, Brussels; The Frances Foundation, Paris and The International Centre of Photography amongst others.

Jackson works across all arts and media platforms – including museums, galleries, television, publishing, digital. Jackson has won and was nominated for BAFTAs for her BBC 2 series Doubletake and collected awards from 'Infinity', the Photographers’ Gallery, 'The Best of the Best,' and 'Creative Circle' over the years. She is an original Tedster and presented TED Talks worldwide, including Cannes Lions, Design Indaba, and many universities UAL, RCA, Goldsmiths and has been featured in Who’s Who amongst others. Four collections of her photographic work have been published by Penguin, Taschen and Stern Portfolio.

Jackson has made extensive portraits of actors, celebrities, and public figures (real ones!) and is building a collection at the National Portrait Gallery, The Parliamentary Art Collection, London; The National Portrait Gallery, London; SF MOMA, San Francisco; The Royal College of Art, London; Musée de la Photographie, Charleroi, Brussels; The Frances Foundation Paris; The International Centre of Photography; Pompidou Centre, and Fotografiska worldwide. Actors and celebrities include: Sir Elton John, Eddie Redmayne, Benedict Cumberbatch, Rosamund Pike, Gillian Anderson, Ralph Fiennes, Charles Dance, Tom Ford and many well-known politicians including Boris Johnson and David Cameron. 

She has been widely exhibited in museums, galleries and in Public Collections across the world including: Tate Modern, The Tate Britain, The Hayward Gallery, The National Portrait Gallery, Liverpool Biennial at The Tate; International Center of Photography, New York; San Francisco MoMA; The Pompidou Centre;  Musée du Louvre, Paris; Musée de L’Elysee, Lausanne; Kunsthalle Vienna; Musee de la Photo Montreal; Musée de la Photographie à Charleroi; Schirn Museum, Frankfurt; Camera Museum, Turin; Westlicht Museum, Vienna; Fotografiska Hollywood LA, Stockholm and Tallin. The Venice Biennale;  Camerawork, Berlin; and The Photogallery, Stockholm.

Alison Jackson at work

Books by Alison Jackson

PRIVATE