Wet Frowns, Rainy Day Abstracts & Landscapes

It’s been raining a lot. I’ve gathered some of my favourite recent shots that feature aspects of rainfall. A few years ago I started documenting representations of gender and expression with a particular focus on frown lines and forehead expression – I called it The Frown Project. In the last couple of weeks I’ve felt … Read more

A Visual Journey Inspired by Sunglasses

It was exactly 40 years ago when, as a student in Venice, I first encountered a phenomenon that I found both simultaneously attractive and ludicrous. Walking along the Zattere – a waterfront promenade – in late Autumn there were groups of young Italian guys hanging out and people watching. These guys were cool, and they … Read more

Barber Signs and Imagery

The other week walking down London’s Kingsland Road in Dalston I took an illusionistic street photograph involving a barbershop window that regularly catches my eye. In the mix is a striking, monochromatic bearded profile with pronounced eyebrows as well as a beautiful, shrouded female figure with crossed hands. Rather than hipster qualities I associate his … Read more

Japan: tradition and modernity in popular culture

I recently saw an advert on the London Underground from the Japan National Tourism Organisation who have launched a campaign entitled Japan – where tradition meets the future and it reminded me that I’d been meaning for a while to write a post on this very theme. I wanted to examine this theme using images … Read more

Facades in Rome: old and new signs of culture

A few weeks ago I visited Rome after a gap of many years.  I had wanted to revisit for a while, especially after seeing contemporary films set in Rome by several of my favourite Italian directors: Nanni Moretti, Gianni di Grigorio and Paolo Sorrentino. I was immediately struck by the architecture and monumentality of Rome, but … Read more

wembley!

I was invited to the FA Community Shield at Wembley yesterday; Acoustically it’s very dynamic and nothing like watching football on TV. Here are a few things that caught my eye … The futuristic facade with its reflections: I liked this colourful, spiky recycled lion made from reclaimed waste: The artist is Faith Bebbington Mirror … Read more

Style: men’s fashion and originality

Here are some pictures of José that I took yesterday in London when I bumped into him at an outdoor dance event. I’ve seen José around the British salsa scene for decades; like me he is a veteran salsero! Originally from Sierra Leone but London based, he is always impeccably dressed. He designs his own … Read more

Uncertain States /18 features my Frown Project!

I’m really pleased and excited that my “Frown Project” is being given exposure in the Uncertain States broadsheet, which is a quarterly magazine featuring work by lens-based artists.  The latest copy has just come out and has one of my re-presented images wrapped around the front and back cover: There’s also a page inside with … Read more

the wise son and the wicked son

Tonight is the eve of the Jewish festival of Passover. Traditionally the first night is marked with a big meal – a Seder  – where you recount in a certain order the story of how the children of Israel were liberated from slavery in Egypt (also innocently referred to in the text as the “House … Read more