Pup, 2017
With Chris Parkes Photography
An editorial on loneliness.
Made in collaboration with Chris Parkes and Scott Humphreys, Pup exploring themes of longing and absence. When drawing the story board, I wanted to capture not only the Pup character, but the character of his absent partner as well. His clothes, art collection and interiors became his proxy, situated in newly refurbished luxury apartment in Clerkenwell. Each photo both stands alone and forms part of a larger, shifting narrative. It starts with our protagonist, bored and sprawled across the dining table, wearing a He Man jacket sewn from curtains found in Margate, an old King Kong movie poster in the background. We follow him through the house, amusing himself as he waits for his partner to come home from his job in the City. The story concludes with Pup falling asleep on the couch, spooning a celadon vase, the smell of his partner’s jacket on his nose.
Scott’s cheeky presence and Chris’ eye for cinematic shots made workshopping this shoot dynamic and unexpected. Talking through our experience of being gay men living in London, there are small nods to gay culture and our personal histories throughout. While these photos haven’t been exhibited in their own right, they became a kind of sketch for the Liam installation in Soho. Using artworks as props for a shoot also came to inform my proposal to Open Space in 2019, which resulted in The Lever.
Art Director: Will Martin
Photographer: Chris Parkes
Model: Scott Humphreys, First Model Management
Venue: Charterhouse Square, London. Facilitated by Velorose