A Grime Photography Research List

Big up to the students of GMD at LCC.

Throughout January, I had the huge pleasure of supporting the Graphic Media Design BA course at London College of Communication. The unit that I'm involved with is inspired by Jeffrey Boakye's Quietus article The Poet Laureate is up for Renewal: Could Grime Be The Answer and his subsequent book Hold Tight, a fantastically written exploration of Grime via 50+ key songs. The project is also taking in Paul Gilroy's essay attached to Eastman's latest release Red, White & Zero.

My role as visiting practitioner is to help organise an event to celebrate the project and also to support a photographic response to the project. 

Students are looking at everything from architecture and town planning to venues, (the now defunct) Form 696 and fashion, with an emphasis on trying to avoid images and styles that have already been adopted; to think outside of the box. 

MC Dangerous (SLT Mob), Youngster, Crazy D, Skepta, Youngsta, Plastician. FWD>> at Plastic People, London 2005. ©Georgina Cook

There are, after all, some amazing photographers like Simon Wheatley, Ewen Spencer, Olivia Rose and Vicky Grout who have already photographed the blood and bones of Grime such as the areas and housing estates that the music originated in (hold tight E3) and the MC's really brilliantly. It's worth looking at these photographers, for context, to see Grime visually (lots of the students are completely new to the genre) and also, because, they're amazing. 

I've compiled a Pinterest board of the some of there references that I gave to various students during the sessions. It includes photography, artist's and books. I didn't need to put Dizzee's Boy in Da Corner on there because so many students already know it.

One of my suggestions has been to consider the energy of the expression and the way the music and the sound makes you feel when you hear it. Listen to, listen to the lyrics & the flow. That is essentially what Boakye's book "Hold Tight" is all about. Check out the fantastic play-list that accompany's his book.

No1. piece of advice from a music photographer to people new to music photography: REALLY listen to the music that you're representing.

Really looking forward to seeing all the outcomes of the project! Big thanks to the visionary GMD course leader Craig Burston for having me and to all his inspiring students.

Georgina.

See also: Calm Before Stormzy (Blog post) & Drumz Of The South