So, let us begin by going back. What first inspired you to take document your friends and your surrounding with a camera? Were you into always photography as a child or were you a skinhead first and then got into taking photos? What kind of camera was used? Do you still use the same kind?.
It’s all on here 🙂
The cameras I had first were: a Hannimex 110, a Zenith TTL.
And the camera I owned for most of my time as a skinhead was an Olympus OM1N, and when I was 19 I got a Nikon FM 2.
I was taking pics a good year before I was a skin.
What did your friends think back then about you taking photos of them?
They didn’t give a fuck, in fact a lot of them took up photography.
How did you go about developing the photos that are in these books back then, did you go to a local shop, or did you develop them yourself in a darkroom?
Me and my dad used to process them and then at 16 i started working for CAMERA PRESS, as a Darkroom junior, and I would process them there, then I would use the darkroom for years after, one of my best mates CASS worked there and would let me do my films.
I see you have been many places exhibiting your SKINS book & photos, from Brighton to Färgfabriken and beyond. How did the idea come up to turn your photobook into a travelling exhibition? Is there anywhere you have not shown your photos yet that you would like to?
Well, its photography , so people seem to like looking at photographs, its pretty normal for photographers to exhibit their work.
What usually happens is someone will contact me wanting to put on an exhibition, VICE have been behind the last few, I have 2 up at the moment : One in Tartu Estonia, and one in Brighton. I think it could be Paris or Bergan in Norway next.. I have only really exhibited in London and Scandinavia, I have the rest of the world to conquer yet.. I would like to go to lots of smaller towns across the world, and tour all of england, and 2 place I would like to exhibit, are Pakistan, and Jamaica.
Do you get ever people with misconceptions who are still shocked to see “Skinheads” in an art gallery?
No, people tend to fucking love it,.. theres always interest , no matter were I go , I find it all quite amusing.
How did you begin working with Independent Music Press and how is the relationship going between you and this publisher?
Martin from PYMCA contacted my old publlisher GEORGE MARSHAL from Skinhead Times , who was the original publisher, and wanted to do the book, so thats how that happened. te new publisher is VICE though powerhouse book, lets see how that all pans out the book aint out yet, but its gone pretty smoothly so far.
Tell me a bit about the new book “SKINS & PUNKS”. When will it be out and where can we get it?
All the info is here: http://www.powerhousebooks.com/book/436.
Are these “SKINS & PUNKS” photos also all of your friends or are the subjects just random people you came across? Did you hang out with many punks in those years?
They’re all my friends and family I rarely took pictures of people I did not know unless I was getting paid.
Where there were punks there was skins, that’s the way it was, the music crossed over and so did a lot of punks became skins in 79, 80.
When you look at these old photos, especially those of yourself as a youth-do the memories come rushing back every time, or have you seen them so many times by now that it doesn’t matter?
Yes, I’m really quite emotionally removed from them now, I’ve been though so much and so many changes, I just dont recoginse that person any more , it was so long ago, and just my normal life, which for the most part was as boring as anyone else’s growing up.
What does “Skinhead” mean to you?
To me , it changes all the time, at the moment I feel it was about having a really good laugh with your friends. We laughed a lot…
Any final words, thanks, dedications, etc..?
The universe is electric, and the BIG BANG never happened: http://www.thunderbolts.info/