Simon Griffee Department of photography, art direction, and graphic design.
Curriculum Vitae - Simon Griffee
Simon is a photographer and graphic designer with friends around the world. He lives and works wherever he may be, currently between West Michigan in North America and Rome in the Italic Peninsula. He’s had 1 solo exhibition, participated in 3 others, and won 1st place in one local photography contest. His résumé is here.
2025
Photographs in Michigan.
Photographs in Rome, Italy.
Photographs in Helsinki, Finland.
Photographs in Tallinn, Estonia.
2024
Begins learning piano.
Photographs in Rome, Italy.
Organizes imgtlk open public art exhibition.
Photographs in Seattle.
Photographs in NYC.
Photographs total solar eclipse in Ohio.
Photographs in Michigan.
Photographs in Florida.
2023
Photographs in Florida.
Photographs in London and Norwich, UK.
Graphic design work for a cultural association near Rome.
Photographs in Rome, Italy.
Photographs in Berkeley, Oakland, and San Francisco, California.
2022
Moves to and photographs in West Michigan.
Photographs in Rome, Italy.
Photographs in NYC.
Photographs in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Self-publishes Windward book of black and white photographs.
2021
Starts Time Light Movement & Distance independent book publisher to self-publish own books and those of friends.
Photographs in Rome, Italy.
Photographs in NYC.
Photographs in Pennsylvania.
Photographs in Beacon, NY.
2020
Begins sending photographs of own drawings to friends.
Photographs Comet NEOWISE C/2020 F3 from West Michigan.
Photographs in Pennsylvania.
Photographs in Cape Cod.
Photographs in Rome, Italy.
Starts video game livestreaming channel on Twitch.
Illustration work for International Plant Protection Convention of FAO/UN.
Work proposals for Andrew Yang’s campaign focussed on basic income.
Attends life/figure drawing sessions at Columbia University’s Artist Society.
2019
Meets Douglas Hofstadter after reading I Am a Strange Loop.
Starts imgtlk art project.
Works with Bruce Gilden on editing and black and white development of his book Lost & Found.
Meets Martin Parr.
Photographs in Michigan.
Photographs on a train trip to West Virginia.
Photographs in Beacon, NY.
Continues photographing in NYC.
2018
Designs logotype for Columbia University’s Centennial Celebration of its core curriculum focussed on the humanities.
Photographs in Rome, Italy.
Photographs in Michigan.
Photographs in Washington DC and West Virginia.
Photographs in Beacon, NY.
Continues photographing in NYC.
2017
Designs various posters for Columbia University’s Italian Academy.
Meets Robert Frank in NYC.
Photographs in Michigan.
Photographs in NYC, including partial solar eclipse.
Photographs in Rome, Italy.
2016
Begins working at United Nations Archives.
Works at a movie distribution design startup called Ammo Content.
Photograph selected for BBC Travel’s 50 Reasons to #LoveTheWorld 2016.
Publishes collection of reportage photographs.
Photography workshop with Peter Van Agtmael in NYC.
2015
Photo in Penumbra Foundation Member Show exhibition, Soho Photo Gallery, NYC.
Photographs in Michigan.
Photographs in West Virginia.
Photographs in Boston, Massachusetts.
Photographs at Google’s end of year party at the Waldorf Astoria in NYC.
Publishes collection of portrait photographs.
Meets Eli Reed.
Designs U+23FF Observer Eye Symbol ⏿ which is accepted by the Unicode Consortium and now available on computer systems worldwide.
Moves to New York City and photographs, also in blizzard conditions.
Works for Magnum Photos’ Bruce Gilden, for graphic designer Milton Glaser, and for Columbia University, designing many posters over the next five years.
Reads graphic designer Milton Glaser’s essay, Ten Things I Have Learned.
2014
Publishes Empire Security photo essay.
Publishes collection of travel photographs.
Travels and photographs in Salento, Puglia, Italy.
The Stories & Secrets of Fez photo essay in BBC Travel.
Travels and photographs around Fes, Morocco.
Photographs in the Vatican.
Publishes Fashion Squad photo essay.
Photographs in Seville, Spain.
2013
Organizes photo workshops for friends at Food and Agriculture Organization.
Publishes You & Me photo essay.
Photographs in Argiano and Florence, Italy.
Attends EuroPython 2013 conference in Florence, Italy.
Photographs in Isola del Giglio.
Photographs in Amsterdam, Netherlands.Chapter in Richard Kalvar workshop book: Magnum Workshop Paris #3, 9–13 May 2013.
Photographs in Brussels, Belgium.
Photography workshop with Richard Kalvar in Paris.
Photographs in London, UK.
Photographs a wedding in Rome, Italy.
2012
Photographs in Malta.
Photographs in Brussels, Belgium.
Photographs in St Ives, Cornwall, UK.
In The Cave, group exhibition, The Room Gallery, Rome, Italy.
Photographs in Prague, Czech Republic.
Photography workshop with Bruce Gilden in Wolverhampton, UK.
2011
Photographs in Isola del Giglio.
Photographs in Rome, Italy.
Photographs in Seville, Spain.
Photographs in Cortona, Italy. Meets Anders Petersen.
2010
Photographs in Isola del Giglio, Italy and publishes The Island photo essay.
Photographs in Verona, Italy.
Moves to Rome, Italy and begins working in the office at FAO/UN.
Travels and photographs in Thailand and Vietnam.
2009
Photographs in Malta.
Photographs in Rome, Italy.
Sells SLR camera gear and begins photographing exclusively with small cameras.
Photographs in Bracciano, Italy.
2008
Starts Imaginary Lines art project.
1st Place, Premio di Fotografia Estemporanea photo contest, Bracciano, Italia.
Solo exhibition Libero Pensiero, I Granai, Rome, Italy.
Photographs in Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Photographs in West Yorkshire, UK.
Photographs in London, UK. =todo:
Photographs in Bracciano, Italy.
Photographs in Seville, Spain.
2007
Photographs in Venice.
Photographs around Lago di Garda, Italy.
Photographs in Isola del Giglio.
Photographs in Wetzlar, Germany
Moves to and photographs in Bracciano, Italy.
Photography workshop with Per Volqwartz in Joshua Tree National Park, California.
2006
Photographs in Redwood State Park.
Photographs in Idaho and Oregon. .
Photographs in Monterey Aquarium, California.
Gets first digital rangefinder.
Photographs in San Francisco, California.
Volunteer work for About This Particular Macintosh website.
Volunteers at Bay Area Free Press in Berkeley, California.
Attends Stanford University Concept Design Workshop at d.school.
Reads The First and Last Freedom.
2005
Lives in cooperative house The Playground in North Oakland/Berkeley.
Travels to Washington DC. Spends two weeks photographing in NYC.
Takes road trip from NYC to Big Sur, via various states and landscapes including Grand Canyon, then to the San Francisco Bay Area, California, taking small roads, camping in forests and parks, over the course of 3 months.
Starts HyperTextHero freelance graphic design business doing work for various clients including a nascent yacht maker.
Photographs in London, UK.
2004
Gets first digital SLR.
Photographs in London, UK.
Works at Acotel in Rome, Italy.
2003
Photographs in London and Duxford, UK.
Works as computer tutor, substitute teacher, and graphic designer at American Overseas School of Rome.
2000–2002
Photographs in Buzios and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Works at a startup called European Artisans in Trastevere.
Works at Alegi & Associates law office as a computer tutor and IT technician.
1999
Makes and publishes first personal website.
Walks over 500km in northern Spain to Santiago di Compostela.
Photographs in Palma de Majorca and Barcelona, Spain.
Travels in the Cyclades Islands in Greece.
Graduates from Bournemouth University with Bachelor of Arts in Creative Advertising.
1998
City & Guilds Diploma in Photography from Arts University Bournemouth, UK.
Starts photography course at Arts University Bournemouth.
Decides to pursue visual design and photography rather than advertising.
Photographs in Norway.
Photographs during glider flight near Norwich, UK.
2-week work experience at GGS Photography in Norwich, UK.
Summer work experience in London advertising agencies Evans Hunt Scott, IMP, and Da Costa & Co.
1997
Photographs friends.
Gets first film SLR.
Moves to 5 Maple Road to live with friends from Scandinavia and Northern Europe.
1996
Lives in multi-cultural house at Bournemouth University Student Village.
Attends Bournemouth University, studying advertising.
Moves to Bournemouth, UK.
Graduates from AOSR.
1995–1996
Photographs friends at American Overseas School of Rome.
Moves to Rome, Italy.
1994–1995
Attends Graded American school.
Lives outside of São Paulo, Brazil.
1991–1993
First electric guitar.
First acoustic guitar.
Travels with friends and photographs in Scotland.
First photography/videography project using a friend’s videocam.
Visits Sahara desert in the south of Tunisia.
Lives in Tunis, Tunisia. Attends American Cooperative School of Tunis.
1986–1991
Lives in São Paulo, Brazil. Attends St. Paul’s British school.
1985–1986
Lives in Brazilia, Brazil. Attends Escola das Nações (School of the Nations).
1982–1984
Lives for six months in Oxford, England.
Lives in a remote forestry research station in Bahia/Goiás. Runs away from first school.
1980–82
First painting.
Lives in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
1978
Born in Passo Fundo, Brazil.
Website
Education
B.A. Creative Advertising - Copywriting & Art Direction
Bournemouth University, UK.
UK City & Guilds Diploma, Distinction - Photography
Arts University Bournemouth, UK.
The natural world.
=todo: Add more images and links to photographs.