Tattoos and Taboos

I don’t have any tattoos.
I don’t think I could.
I’m a bit of a wimp when it comes to needles.
When I got my ear pierced at 15 I fainted on the High Street outside the shop and forever lost my chance to look cool in front of the girl I was trying so hard to impress.
But I’m fascinated by people who put themselves under the needle to adorn their bodies in ink.
While getting a tattoo is now so commonplace as to be considered ‘normal’ what makes someone want to go beyond convention and express themselves through the artwork on their bodies.
Exploring areas of taboos and tattoos I’m indebted to Emma Garrard and Joe Munroe for inviting me into their world.

Artists on the Block

There’s something about the faded glamour of a British seaside town – especially out of season, that has me captivated. Walking along the seafront in Swanage I chanced upon these amazing trompe l’oeil murals by local artist Nina Camplin and just had to snap, stand back in awe to appreciate and and then share them.

See No Evil – Bristol 2011

I’m from Bristol.
I went to school in Lockleaze, scored 48 goals in one season for Bristol Boys and worked Saturdays in my dad’s shop on Stapleton Road.
Starting out I took photos for local what’s on guide Venue and got to check out crews like The Wild Bunch
some of whom would go on to form Massive Attack and Smith & Mighty who I went to school with.
At my mum’s house I had backdrops of original graffiti art by Delge aka 3D aka Robert Del Naja that would have been worth a bit – had I hung onto them.
Time, travel, fate and consequence have all moved us on from our birthplace and I haven’t been back in nearly a decade but this video reminds me that you can take the boy out of Bristol but you’ll never take Bristol out of the boy….
Special thanks and respect to Miles Johnson aka DJ Milo for sending me this link

kalectiv – directors showreel

directing and producing short form projects, commercials, shorts, trailers, idents, virals and pop promos
Kalectiv have built an affiliation of visual artists capable of fulfilling any brief with freshness and originality.
Does it tell the story? Does it entertain? This is our Mantra.
If the medium is the message, then the word on the street is that we need a new kind of ‘hybrid’ film-maker….
someone with the skills of both director and stills photographer.

For me being part of such a Kalectiv crew of creativity is a real honour and seeing my work stand up with the blonde android in BladeRunner (aka Rutger Hauer from the Guinness Ads) just gives me goosebumps!!!!
Thanks again and huge respect to all.