Dean Davies Speaking About Birkenhead, TRIP, and Manchester Girls
One of the main themes Dean Davies explores in his work is North West England, in which he grew up and resides today. He captures locals, friends, and family members in continuous research of the personality, character, and values nourished by the area. His work fuses the melting point between documentary and staged photography so that elements of the real become merged with the artist's gaze. In the series Manchester Girls, we encounter a self-confident, powerful collective character of the local teenage girl we learn about from various personalities.
We are drawn into a mundane life filled with special occasions and meaningful moments. Something in the characters we meet from different series and projects is hypnotizing, leaving us to yearn for more. The search for the inner side of personalities becomes the viewer's quest as much as the research the photographer presents.
Dean Davies is a fashion photographer from North West England, a Director of TRIP, a publishing platform, and a Senior Lecturer at UWE Bristol. His practice expands to casting non-models from the community and styling his shoots. This allows reaching authentic visuals of the local scene through an easily distinguishable Dean’s perspective. Growing in Birkenhead has had an enormous impact on his work and the chosen themes. Dean explains, “It’s shaped how I view the world and how I depict it. I am proud of my upbringing and where I am from, which is why it is always at the forefront of my work.” In this interview, we discuss with Dean his hometown and the way it's reflected in the elements of his work. We speak about his series The Manchester Girls, his personalized manner of working with people on set, and the platform TRIP, founded in 2013.
‘Growing up in Birkenhead has had a huge influence on my photography. It’s shaped how I view the world and how I depict it.’
Birkenhead
Growing up in Birkenhead, North West England, how do you think the area shaped you as a person and as an artist?
I create the images I create because of my upbringing. Growing up in Birkenhead has had a huge influence on my photography. It’s shaped how I view the world and how I depict it. I am proud of my upbringing and where I am from, which is why it is always at the forefront of my work. My image-making is inspired by the people and area I grew up in – from the residential homes and streets to the people who frequented them, but most importantly, Northern style trends that informed my adolescence - you will see references to all these elements embedded within my work.
Could you share a childhood memory that has influenced the way you create images, your curiosity about and approach to the subject?
Connection to place is very important to me - and I'm always looking for a familiar environment and subject matter in my work. I'm more comfortable as a photographer in the kinds of places I grew up around and the kind of people I grew up around. The area has shaped me to be resilient and to believe in who I am and what I create. I’m inspired by not one but a collective memory of growing up, of playing on the street, of the colour and textures of the housing where I grew up, and the fashion and characters of the people who inhabited those spaces and places.
Manchester Girls
The series you shot between 2018 and 2020, in collaboration with the stylist Vicky Olschak, spotlights the juxtaposition between the collective character and the individual. The title takes us to remember which stereotypes Manchester represents and question what might have drawn your attention to the subject. How do you think Manchester girls differ from the populace in the capital city?
For me, ‘Manchester girls’ characteristics speak to resilience, attitude, and style. I can spot them from within a crowd of people. Within the creative industries, there is certainly a lack of opportunity for those from the North West of England, compared to those within the capital.
In what way, aspirations and opportunities available to them differ?
That dialogue is introduced almost on day 1 of arts education and certainly within fashion and publishing - almost to prepare you for working harder. As a student, I was told I had to move to London to succeed - which only made me want to combat that - driving me to work harder and to make those opportunities for myself - regardless of where I was living.
‘Some of the best ‘fashion’ images I've seen are by ‘documentary’ photographers. With regards to fashion and styling, these are important elements of my image-making and how I really engage with the work.’
Constructing Reality
The line between a staged image and a documentary is at times elusive, at least to the viewer, who might not know the background and the specifics of the frame. What is critical for you in building a narrative and creating the character when working with non-models, working with a person who already brings their life story to the frame?
The line between staged and documentary is one I have been actively exploring within my image-making, though to me, they are one and the same. I am a fashion image-maker, first and foremost - to me there are so many more things to consider than just the photography - such as your models and what they are wearing, as well as the location. Some of the best ‘fashion’ images I've seen are by ‘documentary’ photographers. With regards to fashion and styling, these are important elements of my image-making and how I really engage with the work. Even when subjects are wearing their own clothes, it is always seeking to capture the fashion through the imagery and to make connections between fashion and identity. Most of the time, I’m capturing people as they are, but using the aesthetics of fashion to construct the image, using colour and texture, and our associations with garments to explore the subject’s identity.
‘To people. I'm also quite informal and always try to find familiar ground and something we can talk about, talking in between every shot.’
The Subject
How do you choose the right ‘cast’ for the series you work on - what are the criteria?
I’m drawn to characters and faces with a story to tell. I believe as image-makers, we all have different approaches to how we engage with our subjects. I am a people person and love to talk to people. I'm also quite informal and always try to find familiar ground and something we can talk about, talking in between every shot. With a lot of subjects who may be anxious due to not knowing me or not typically having their photograph taken, I try to keep the mood light and humorous.
Do you usually open up for a conversation with the person you photograph?
I always tell/show the subject exactly what I am going to be taking, so showing them my work and any further references. I remember years ago someone who commissioned me for a project said that I am the right person for the job because of my demeanour and how comfortable I make people feel - which is the first time I'd ever considered that about myself - I think hearing that from someone really grew my confidence and allowed me to utilize that part of myself when taking someone's portrait.
‘I’ve seen so many brilliant photographers go off the radar because they struggled to find paid work and took on other jobs to survive’
TRIP
What have you learned for the past seven years as a director of TRIP, the publishing platform founded in 2013?
I started TRIP as a platform to share the work of other image-makers. As an emerging photographer myself, I was struggling to get my work seen, and I saw so much brilliant work online that I felt wasn’t being talked about enough. So I set about creating - first a website, and then printed publications - to promote the work I was seeing.
What are some main challenges emerging photographers face today, in your opinion?
I believe the challenges most emerging photographers face are longevity and sustaining their practice. I’ve seen so many brilliant photographers go off the radar because they struggled to find paid work and took on other jobs to survive, meaning their photography took a back seat and eventually fizzled out.
Monetizing my work was never my number 1 priority, and I took on other jobs to support me and my work financially - which allowed me to really focus on creating the work I want to create. It took me 3 years post-graduation for anyone to even notice my work. For many photographers, that might make them give up. For me - I always believed in and was driven by the work. You’ve got to have an impenetrable commitment and be in it for the long haul.
Next Steps
What project are you working on or planning as the next one?
I’m currently working on a collaborative project with my students in Fashion Communication at UWE, Bristol, where I am a senior lecturer. The project sees me collaborate with the next generation of fashion image-makers in the creation of fashion films and images. The project is in its early stages but has been a rewarding project so far. The act of collaboration really excites me, and to work with students to support them in their first steps to establishing themselves and their work is priceless.
