The Brotherhood of Ruralists Information Website

During the 1950s Ovenden made regular trips from Southampton to London to take photographs of street scenes. Up until 1959 these were taken with a Box Brownie camera.

Studied at Southampton School of Art, 1960-4
- working with friend and mentor James Sellars.

Studied at Royal College of Art, 1965-8
- being taught by and collaborating with Peter Blake.
- met Robert Melville, who wrote the first major review of Ovenden's art.

Moved to Cornwall, 1973
- using the small cottage as a starting point, began designing and building what has become an important architectural statement, combining his own original ideas and craftsmanship with elements of Victorian gothic revival and the arts and crafts movement.

Formed the Brotherhood of Ruralists, 1975.

Exhibited regularly as part of the Ruralists and as a solo artist, with frequent exhibitions at the Piccadilly Gallery and others.

Continues to exhibit as an artist, and is frequently included in exhibitions at the Leicester Galleries.

Areas of Work

Photography, Painting (mainly in oils), Drawing (mainly pencil). Poetry, Architectural Design (Barley Splatt). Has experimented in other areas such as screen printing and graphics produced using computers. Has written and edited numerous books on photography, artist monographs and other subjects.

Broadcasts

Robinson Country - The Artist, Channel 4, 13 June 1987

Bats in the Belfry - Home Sweet Home, ITV, July 1987

Curious Houses, with Lucinda Lambton, BBC TV, 1987

Lolita Unclothed, Channel 4, 1993

Without Walls, Channel 4, 1994

For the Sake of the Children, Channel 4, 1997

Updated: 1 July 2005