We’re proud to unveil a new video series featuring photographers Dougie Wallace, Ed Thompson, James Burns, Chris Floyd and Brian David Stevens. The films aim to delve deeper into the work and personas of these renowned photographers, and their authentic creative voices. Join them as they provide rare insight into their deeply personal motivations, inspirations and creative processes.
We asked the artists to take us to the precise location one of their key images were taken, which saw our film crew traverse a North London rooftop, visit a haunted village, and take a trip to the Kent coastline in search of the setting to which the artists found their inspiration. The films provide context to how the images were imagined and created, as well as describe the ideas and thought processes behind the images and projects. The artists also talk about how they realised their creative vision through exhibitions, books and art sales.
“The inspiration came from growing up, listening to pirate radio. I was always intrigued of the concept of my culture being delivered to me from the rooftops” – James Burns
James Burns’ covert missions to attain the best possible vantage point of the London skyline, saw him capture stunning vistas of London, for his long-term ‘London from the rooftops’ project. Here he explains how the project relates back to his passion for Drum n’ Bass, where the music was secretly distributed via pirate radio stations from the rooftops of the Council estates, and saw him drawn to the sources of this subculture, the work has since come to define his style, and won acclaim for its originality with him continuing to search for ever more impressive vistas.
Dougie Wallace aka ‘Glasweegee’ invites us shooting with him around East London, as he stalks the streets to capture the fleeting, unflinchingly realistic scenes of urban life and moments of social-documentary magic that he’s become known for, with the energy of the city streets his playground. He discusses past shows, upcoming projects and what keeps him out on the streets, keen-eyed and inspired to continue searching for his narratives.
“With Shoreditch I found an absurd angle on characters, I look for expressions and emotions. My aim is to get closer” – Dougie Wallace
Edward Thompson took us on a journey to a haunted village in Kent, the location for his compelling and surreal project ‘The Unseen’ – where, using an unorthodox medium, he aimed to explore the phenomenon of the area’s local ghost sightings by shooting areas in which these sightings had occurred using deadstock infrared film, thereby exposing scenes usually outside our visual spectrum.
“At the centre of the series is the idea of revealing things we cannot see, things that are beyond our perception. The notion that something is going on somewhere and that we are not aware of it. Paranoia.” – Edward Thompson
Stories from Chris Floyd, Brian David Stevens and more artists follow, so watch this space as we release further films in the series, and explore more creative journeys; the journeys from idea, to creation, to exhibition. The magic of making.
