DORIAN GRAYS

IN BLACK & WHITE; DORIAN GRAYS

My Dorian Grays are a bunch of black & white people-images; a mix of new and old, friends and fashion, Posed or just a moment captured. Strong faces and shapes simplified by the contrast in 256 shades of gray. Disclaimer: I’m not suggesting that any of these people have an ugly painting hidden in the attic. But you never know… It’s been a long time since I printed BW, but I still love that silver feeling.

Nacho, my love, with a cheeky grin, in Parque Genovese on a winter’s day.

Guess who’s jumping? At Conil coves, Cadiz region.

An afternoon at la Caleta. Jumping high, as they always do.

The lovely April, panned, at my old studio in Shoreditch Town Hall, in a former boxers’ dressing room.

Ismael, looking like a wise wizard. Or some wild rock star.

The lovely Liz with her pixie face, in my Mendip House kitchen, morning light, 5×4. I just hate it when people look that good in the morning.

Bill & Rob, warming up for one of our soirees at Shoreditch Town Hall. This window light flooded my studio every afternoon.

Edy and Tam. Same place, different mood.

Fela’s unmistakable profile, in shadow, in window light.

And me, enjoying the last afternoon rays in the studio.

Originally a fashion story for Scene Magazine. Shot on type 55, solarizing the negative on the spot. Risky business, but always worked for me. Model: Che. Styling, Alison Fitzpatrick.

Funnyhow the solarization of these negatives sometimes gives the most distinctive mackie-line. This time it almost became a drawing.

Edy at Ursvik, the bath-house. One of my favourite places. One of my favourite faces. I love this look. So knowing.

Edy again, in what I called my torture chamber, in the STH. I always loved lighting with a single bulb. It’s such a simple and pure way of lighting.

Tonio, in his Juventus phase, where everything was black and white. Always that cigarette behind the ear. Profound thoughts…

Nigel. King of his kingdom, daring any seagull to come and mess with him. Isn’t he just fine…?

And Nacho, in his element. My man, and our favourite place.

From a demo-shoot I did for students at Westminster. What a strong and symmetrical look she has. I think her name was Sarah.

Connie, in the corridor of the Shoreditch Town Hall. Playing drunk, just messing around.

Lincoln, High Contrast. I never liked the colour version of this shot, but I do like the BW.

Outtake from a fashion story. I just liked the leaves casting shadows in the direct morning sun.

Anders Andersen’s top, while at St. Martins fashion, modelled by Miriam. Quite an extreme lighting, sculpting in a Lillian Bassman kinda way.

Edy again. My favourite chameleon in stereo. Wall by Addidas.

Modesty, the mannequin found in a bar in Covent Garden. She was always my stand-in for lighting. Here lit with a lightbulb, using peacock feathers to gobo the light.

For Jo Gordon. These hat shots for her 1990’s collections were not just about showing the hats. Jo used the big prints at Fashion Week to illustrate the hats in a context. This time the context was Hackney, derelict places no longer easy to find in London’s East End.

This is also Jo, as well as the bottom one. Top two are modelled by the fabulous New Yorker Julianna, and the bottom shot is with Helen, such amazing features.