Image of the week… Doing things that scare me feels like a necessity

22nd November 2024

Doing things that scare me feels like a necessity. Boredom is a fear of mine yet I am a total creature of habit.
When embarking on new ventures there needs to be a delicate balance of an adrenaline rush with the reassuring soft cushion of comfortable predictability.
One of my scariest moments was arriving at Manchester Sun club at the age of 21. I stripped fully naked before individually greeting 9 complete strangers who all arrived fully clothed to meet me. It was a moment that made me question my confidence, process, and sanity.
For the past 17 years when a fresh idea is born, I ask myself the same question: “What do I want to learn?”.
Curiosity drives my creativity and the fear of failure intrigues me more than blocks me. If it’s hard it must be worth trying.
I’ve been fortunate enough to surround myself with many an oracle. These people have guided me emotionally and conceptually and one of the best pieces of advice I’ve ever received came from the one and only Mum.
After reviewing my images from the YBN series halfway through she said:
“You need to connect with the people in these images, stop photographing nudity and keep engaging with people”.Young British Naturists was one of my first long term projects and the idea came from that very question: what do I want to learn and what would scare me? “. For some reason I thought of actors and how doing a nude or sex scene would be associated with nerves and vulnerability.

I pondered on why.
What was so frightening about sharing our bodies?
Continuing my exploration of youth, I fused these two thoughts and followed my instinct.
After 3 and half years working on the project something dawned on me. Perhaps many people who viewed the images would assume this was my process; simply meeting a group and documenting members. It could not have been more complex.
After years of research, meeting people and gaining access to sites across the UK I produced several trips over the following few years to bring together a variety of young naturists.
This then became a social experiment in some ways. What would happen if I brought together a variety of individuals that shared nothing more than a joy of being naked. How would perception and judgement occur? What does nudity mean and represent in our culture? The history, philosophy and symbolic nature of the human body unraveled before me. Each person I met shared their story and heart with me and taught me the many ways in which being naked can be liberating, empowering, and relaxing.
After a conversation in Arles last week, I was reminded how important it is to look back on our practice and remember what fuels our craft. Projects aren’t always fun, inspiring, or full of adventure. They can be cruel, relentless, and uncomfortable. Why I personally make work will continue to originate from the desire to remain curious and to try and be vulnerable.

OAO x @odprintsales @wyatt_clarke_jones @bransch_inc