Research & Inspiration

Although my work is illustration based, one of my favourite forms of inspiration comes from looking at photography. For me photographs offer the ability to instantly express a sense of place, time and situations.

Simon Wheatley’s photography has interested me recently when I discovered that he had made a book called “Don’t Call Me Urban! The Time Of Grime”, published in 2010. The images in the book reflected a part of society in the UK that I recognized and could relate to at some level. I then went on to exploring his work further.

I found that his photography captures the “everyday” experiences and situations that happen in so many lives of the people growing up and living in the UK, especially in and around London.

Simon Wheatley2

Wheatley has a good eye for things that are extraordinarily normal but also manages to give life to his photos in the way he handles them through composition. From the everyday lives of people eating fish and chips in a flat, to young kids being inspired by the energy that comes with UK grime music.

G.B. ENGLAND. London. Isle of Dogs. Bedroom studio, east London. 2005.

G.B. ENGLAND. [City/town. Sample caption. Year.]

To some people Wheatley’s photos may not represent a lifestyle they live or know. The images may come across as meaningless or even intimidating. However, I believe that Wheatley has been able to capture the energy and essence of people’s attitudes in everyday life. Particularly the young people who are living and growing up in London and the UK.

G.B. ENGLAND. [City/town. Sample caption. Year.]

G.B. ENGLAND. Members of Get Money Quick crew walk past a CCTV camera. Kilburn, north London. 2006.

G.B. ENGLAND. London. On the bus from the youth club, east London. 2005.

Simon Wheatley’s photos feel like they have a certain rhythm stringing them together. In a way, each photo communicates a different aspect of these people’s lives, much like a narrative. This is what interests me most about his work.