Simon Wheatley Interview

In April I blogged about Simon Wheatley's book Don't Call Me Urban, but failed to include a link to an excellent audio interview with him by Martin Fuchs. [Audio Interview]

From Martin Fuch's blog: "Maybe the most important thing I ever did was get away from England and that idea of having a career as a photojournalist. It's very competitive of course and I don't think that's a healthy environment in which to learn." - Simon Wheatley [Read more ...]

From Dazed Digital: Over the past few years, urban subculture has seen a magnificent rise from low-end silhouetted darkness to a bright, brilliant and powerful artform, through the mediums of music, (Dizzee Rascal, Tinie Tempah) films (Kidulthood) and now art. Photographer Simon Wheatley has recently released a book (titled Don't Call Me Urban! The Time of Grime) documenting the often controversial and always stunning culture of urban life. Arriving at his Bethnal Green studio, Dazed sat down to speak to Wheatley about art, culture and of course, snapping photos.

Dazed Digital: First up, why's the book called Don't Call Me Urban?
Simon Wheatley: It looks behind the glamorisation of urban life which has arisen. To be urban is not a joke, to be born urban is not a joke and in the context of at least this country its a harsh reality and I think that the mainstream media have been shallow in their portrayal. It's an attempt to go a bit deeper into a complex issue and to go beyond the stereotypes of the right wing media. [Read more ...]