La Belle Époque gone but totally forgotten.

Paris. City of Lights and dark places. Lost souls trying to live in a post impressionist streetscape desperate to find the things they know they’ve lost forever or never had. Step back and try to see what they see, a facade so thin that it’s totally transparent and yet so much better than their previous existence. The indigenous citizens trying to ignore the flotsam that’s passing them by, eyes closed, fingers in their ears, maybe when they wake up, it’ll all be okay. The have and have not’s co-existing in the same world with the immediate horizon just a few feet away. Liberty, equality and fraternity only works if you believe in it and nobody does. A thousand padlocks and lots of keys but none fit. Revolutionary guards drum away and French Scotsmen block the streets. Where are all the bourgeoisie? They’re up in Montmartre wearing red scarves and hoping for a better day.

TWENTY ONE?

Pontoon Dock, east of Silvertown, dead space bright idea that got killed by the Y2K bug, there’s no pleasure in this garden (just dial 999). Derek helps me over Gate 7 and we drift around the forbidden ground seen only through glass and from far away. I can hear and feel the vibrations left from the past and the resentment from the others.  They just didn’t want to be disturbed, they cheated and dealt me a bad card…… 22? Busted!

Dawn2Dusk

Supervised wandering and mindless clicking. You can’t have it both ways, you’re either taking photographs or you’re not. Vincent’s flower arrangement distracts me and makes anything I do insignificant. The anchor to reality keeps you in the here and now with zero chance for abstract reflection. What’s on my mind….absolutely nothing. (I’m so sorry.)

Shoreditch Shuffle

lunchtime breakfast at the ace with the opposite numbers checked out best ever waiter haircut  then ars gratia artis helmets and old bags on the wall cool space then brick lane salt beef bagel and the tall but talented captain kris with his art in a can kevin cornered ironmonger boutique and the fabulous fabio with his colour blind camera shoes on the line it seems a long walk round the block fast forward then a commercial drink in the dark and jay and zed in the pool have you booked then noisy food balancing act and then overground back to metropolis

Red Door (closed but open)

february edinburgh shoot Shruti outside an open/closed junk shop then high street taxi dodging coffee in the st giles cafe and then she tells me india to scotland technicolour to monochrome hot to cold without a blink thinks of home red earth blue sky noise and crowded streets sacred cows now edinburgh cold and slow but peaceful and relaxed just three years here but an edinburgh girl now finish shoot with some cafe snaps then into the truck and home.

Vietnamese coffee

walking down grove street cold edinburgh wind turquoise vietnam house dark inside light on in the back open the door chef says hi go in and do i want tea but they are busy busy getting ready jodie gliding around getting the place ready for lunch people have coffee with condensed milk dense sweet caffiene hit go outside and shoot with zero fill and try to catch the look jodie fragile and bright like a paper lantern back into the street and snap back into real life go to the studio then get in the truck and go home

Suzi / SOHO/City Airport

gerrard street soho went for dim sum bought chinese new year cakes still raining suzi dave suit-fun and me hanging around with the gung hae fat choi buzz in the london winter weather daves first dim sum then bubble tea queue with damp orientals getting taiwan drink fix then back out shoot suzi street style no fill big boca no depth of field washed out then airport security check long conversation with the man feeling me up get through security after explanation of leica and then waiting for the flight to the far north shoot suzi with the suzi look off the plane into the truck and went home.

Empty London

Walking around the streets and lanes of East london just shooting what i see being told to fuck off or being asked if i would like a cup of tea never really being part of where  i was but meeting people that did belong in a bleak wet landscape on bikes on foot on barges behind stalls and through barber shop windows being asked if i had a light or was i lost im not sure i knew where i was 99 per cent of the time so i was permanently lost but not really bothered and also disappointed when i recognised a pizza express and realising i knew where i was so i went home on the d3.

right here

right here