Johnnie Shand Kydd - photographer - Members

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Johnnie Shand Kydd - photographer

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Johnnie Shand Kydd's work is renowned for encapsulating the briefest moments of his subject, filling his photographs with a sense of great insight, many of which feature major figures of the British and international art scenes. They are casually framed, as if by a friend or confidant, which is just what Johnnie Shand-Kydd is. As an emerging photographer in the 1990s, he found himself in the middle of dynamic new artistic surroundings being created by the energy and confidence of the Young British Artists. Shand Kydd served as the silent chronicler of the movement by capturing his friends, including Tracey Emin and Damien Hirst on film. That work was soon collected into the book Spit Fire, with many of the images now considered iconic: a Johnnie Shand Kydd snapshot of Hirst making faces with Kate Moss is now in the National Portrait Gallery in London, along with 70 related pieces. The second book, Crash, documenting the progress of his old friends shows his professional development as a photographer refining his straightforward and confident approach, in both theme and technique, while managing to hold onto his subjects' familiarity and unaffected collaboration. About 200 exposures in strict black-and-white capture art-society luminaries like Gilbert & George, Sam Taylor-Wood, Nan Goldin, Richard Prince, Juergen Teller, Maurizio Cattelan and Tracey Emin.

Johnnie’s latest book, Siren City, is a collection of photographs taken between 2000-2008 of Naples, seductively known as the Siren City. The book undoubtedly captures the light, vivacity and carnality of Naples as well as the darker side and paganism so inherent to the city. Every street and piazza is a stage with amazing characters that look at the lens with an odd mixture of pride and innocence.

The photographs of Naples, shown at MADRE, museum of Contemporary Art in Naples from 31 October 2009 to 15 February 2010, have now reached London. They will be on show for the first time this summer at the Estorick Collection of Modern Italian Art from 1st July – 12th September 2010.

Accademia Apulia asks Johnnie Shad Kydd the following questions:

What inspired you to take up photography?

I fell into it by accident rather than by design. I used to be an art dealer, but then I got bored. I knew a lot of the people who were emerging artists, from the YBA scene (Young British Artists). I realised that something extraordinary was happening in London that was not being documented. I had a belief that a bad photograph of an interesting subject is probably more interesting than an interesting photograph of a bad subject; so I just started taking pictures, having absolutely no technical understanding whatsoever.

What was the first photograph you took that made you think ‘I can do this for a living’?

It was when I received a pathetically small cheque for photographing all the artists in a sensation catalogue. It was a pathetic amount of money, in fact it was a miracle I was paid at all - it was Norman Rosenthal and Charles Saatchi that gave me that break. That would be the first commission I had which paid me to do something I enjoyed doing.

What’s the most challenging aspect of your profession?

Ideas I think. I am an instinctive photographer rather than a theoretical one. You got a great story that you immerge yourself in, you dedicate your life to it, and then, suddenly, you finish that chapter and you think, ‘Oh my Gog, I need another story!’ Sometimes long periods of time can go by before inspiration comes and tips taps on your shoulder.

You’re a self-taught photographer, with portraits in the National Portrait Gallery is there any other photographer whose work you regard as important?

My personal favourite is John Deacon. He was an endearingly monstrous man, and he was a photographer of the London Art world too, but of an earlier generation: the 50s Lucian Freud, Francis Bacon and Frank Auerbach. He was a wonderfully no-nonsense artist, nothing is airbrushed or touched up in his work - everything is brutal and straightforward.

Do you have a favourite series of photographs that you have taken?

I think the WWI veterans series. I photographed the last 21 of them who, sadly, have all gone now. That was a moving experience. These days so much photography is devoted to celebrities that it was nice to photograph people who were so humble.

In 1575 Miguel Navarro defined Naples as a ‘Paradise inhabited by demons'. More recently, film Director Ben Hokins (Naples Open City 1943-1948) described it as ‘hell inhabited by angels’. How does Johnnie Shand-Kydd define Naples?

I am not sure about the ‘Angels’ in the second question; I think ‘hell inhabited by demons’ is a better description of Naples. However, for all its faults, it is a very invigorating and exciting city - I always talk of Naples as drug habit, you try to give it up and then you get a terrible itch and you go back to have another fix.

You are at home in Naples as you are in London. How did this relationship with this Southern Italian region begin?

London is my home. I am, however, a gregarious loner. When I am in London I have a hectic social life, but part of me needs solitude and Naples, I admit, is an odd place to go for it, but I just like going there ... I like to check into a cheap hotel with a paperback novel and be anonymous.

Siren City is a collection of black-and-white photographs taken by you in Naples between 2000-2008. Though located in one of the most sublime settings in the world, Naples is still a city that has been at worst abused and at best neglected. Yet your book manages to capture beauty, the most profane, pride and innocence. What inspired this book? Why did you call the book ‘Siren City’?

I spent that last eight years going back and forth to Naples, sometimes for a weekend sometimes for longer, and just wander the streets with an old 60s roloflex to see there is going around each street corner - sometimes there is something. Eight years worth has been condensed in this book. I called the book ‘Siren City’ because Naples is known as la Citta’ Sirena: the foundations of the city were based on the body of the siren Parthenope that washed ashore in the Bay of Naples. The book is like a fairytale. It starts off bleakly and the it becomes more human and uplifting, and then it gets very dark. It’s like a ghost story, there are no captions in the book, hopefully the photographs will ask questions, which are not answered which will make you inquisitive and you will want to visit the city.

What took you to Naples the first time?

In 2000 I was introduced to a gallery in Naples where I did a show for 3 months. This was at a moment in my life when I needed to get out of London. I kind of loathed Naples to begin with, but then I fell in love with it.

You are as much a participant as an observer in your work. Have you ever felt you’ve crossed the line?

You need to be a bit of a voyeur to be a photographer. I constantly stare at people, sometimes it gets me into trouble - it’s not because I have evil thoughts in my head, I just like watching people, I’m fascinated by people. Have I ever crossed over the line? I don’t believe I have. One of the reasons people allow me into their lives is because they trust me - that trust is something sacred: you lose it once, and you’ve lost it forever.

What advice do you have for young aspiring photographers?

First of all, you need to find out if you have a passion for photography and you can do that without having any money - just get a cheap camera and go out there and see if that’s what suits you. If you are not passionate, hungry for it you may as well give it up straight away - there is far too much competition out there. Especially in the fashion world, there are so many photographers desperate to take another picture of a frock, and there is only a small group of people that are going to succeed, and those are the ones who are absolutely ruthless and hungry to be at the top.

There are so many different types of photography. You can be an artist who uses photography. I don’t see myself as an artist, I see myself as a chronicler. An artist uses photography in a conceptual way, whereas a chronicler is someone who chances upon stuff and records it.

Will you be going to heaven or hell?

I don’t believe in that stuff, but given that most of my friends may be going to hell, I may as well join them there.

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Accademia Apulia UK suggests the following short London courses to start a career in Photograhy

University of Westminster

BTEC First Diploma: Digital Photography - 36 sessions

BTEC Award Digital Photography - 20 sessions

BTEC Award in Digital Photography - 20 sessions

Documentary Photography -12 sessions

BTEC Award Film-Based Photography - 10 Sessions

Beginners Digital Photography - 10 sessions

Contemporary Portrait Photography - 10 sessions