Born in 1961 in Hertfordshire , England , Stuart Clarke spent his youth in the Lake District . He studied at the University of Central London and has now returned to the Lake District to live and work.

Stuart Clarke's photographs show more than just reproductions of football pitches. They illustrate the culture that develops when men, women and children invest their time and money in the fascination of football: 22 men spend 90 minutes kicking a ball. From the owners of hot-dog stands to cuddling couples on the terraces, Stuart Clark has captured all the protagonists in his photographs.

Clarke began his artistic engagement with football with large-format, yet at the same time intimate, photographs. Following a series of stadium disasters around the world, the tragic highpoint being at Hillsborough in 1989, Clarke became increasingly fascinated by the topic.

Disturbed by the fact that his beloved game could so dramatically lose its way, Clarke initiated a unique “Hour of Celebration” of football, which included all the apercus , visual commentaries and the criticism of the tragic events. It did not take long for him to be discovered by the Football Foundation.

Clarke enjoys the interest and respect of all British football institutions. His exhibition “Homes of Football” toured for 15 years through Great Britain and is now on permanent show in Ambleside in the Lake District .

With his new exhibition “England Versus The Rest of the World”, Clarke contributes a new, global perspective to his work. Built upon the artistic foundation of “Homes of Football”, the new exhibition attempts to explain why Great Britain – and particularly England – has provided such a rich football legacy.

Date: 3 - 9 September 2005

Venue: British Council, Alexanderplatz 1, 10178 Berlin