Tom Johnson & Jack Eden’s Another Britain Project

What makes you British? Are there degrees of British-ness? Does being of an ethnic minority make you less British? How about your religious beliefs? How has Britain’s national identity changed? Recently I spoke to up and coming photographer, Tom Johnson about Part I of this culturally inquisitive project that he and fellow photographer, Jack Eden had intelligently produced. The project documents and explores communities, cultures and traditions that make up contemporary British culture. Tom and Jack travelled parts of the Midlands and South Wales in a “beat up 1980′s motorhome” and according to them, this project is the direct result of that journey they took back in March 2013.

Q: Tell us a bit about yourself…

A: I split my time between fashion photography and documentary work. I’ve been building my relationships with modelling agencies and fashion magazines for a couple of years. I also freelance for Vice. It’s a real privilege to be able to take a step back from each discipline and clear my head by immersing myself in something entirely different.

Q: What is your favourite style of photography and who are some of the artists that have inspired you?

A: I like to find a touch of cinematic drama in the mundane. The eccentricities I encounter in everyday life, whether it be in the subject matter, the composition or the lighting are what inspire me to get my camera out and take a shot. My influences have definitely led me to that aesthetic view, Pieter Hugo, John Bulmer and Christopher Anderson are the first that jump to mind.

Q: Usually, what sort of message do you try and communicate through your photography?

A: I don’t have any preconceived agenda when I take a shot. I think the process of documentary photography ends up being a learning experience. The message of a series tends to become clear after the shots have been taken and I get an opportunity to review them. That’s the really rewarding part of this job.

Q: What exactly was it that spurred you on to create and invest in this project?

A: It dawned on me that I’d seen really very little of my own country. It’s true of many of us. It’s so easy to travel abroad, but there’s such a rich tapestry of life here in Britain. I wanted to explore that. I had no idea what I would find.

Q: Another Britain instantly captured my attention because it brought forth both the similar and opposing subcultures that make up contemporary Britain. However what impressed me the most was that you managed to harmonies such diversity into a singular project through such depth and detail in each image. Was this difficult to do?

A: Thank you. I think with any photographer there’s a consistency in style and lighting. The subject matter also lends to some cohesion. This is, after all, one country, and despite the diversity we encountered, and despite what you may read on the front page of certain newspapers, there are shared values and a true sense of community in the places we visited.

Q: You guys did something unconventional by traveling around the midlands and South Wales in a “beat-up 1980s motorhome” as you put it. What were some of the difficulties you guys encountered on your photographic pilgrimage?

A: Well the motor home was a bit of a double-edged sword. It allowed us to assimilate into communities far more thoroughly than we otherwise could have, but it also broke down fairly frequently. We had some low moments somewhere below freezing, in the midlands with a totally shot clutch and no heating…

Uncle

Q: My favourite image you guys captured was “Uncle”. Talk us through this image…

A: That’s a great image. It was actually taken by Jack. He has a great eye for faces. If I remember correctly, he was a passer-by, who Jack approached. He made him instantly at ease. I think that really shows.

Q: Photographic equipment of choice?

A: I use a Canon 5D.

Q: Tell us about some of your upcoming projects, ideas and/or plans?

A: We’re currently organising Part II of Another Britain. We’ll be focusing predominantly on the South. We’re putting together an Electronic Press Package with an eye towards crowd funding the project. The whole team is really excited about the direction it’s all taking. For Part II we’ll be taking a writer, Sam Frankl along with us. He’ll be adding a narrative to the images using anecdotes and contextual detail to really bring them to life.

Q: Would you and Jack consider this project to be a success?

A: Absolutely, but it’s only the first step. The mistakes we made, and there were a few, will just further inform our planning for Parts II and III. That being said, in it’s own right, Part I did exceed our expectations. We got a chance to share our work with over 1000 guests at our exhibition, and many thousands more via our social media sites. But beyond the numbers, some of the individual bits of feedback we received are what made this project so worthwhile. Knowing that our work impacted those people, and that it made them take another look at their surroundings is truly humbling. That’s what makes it feel like a real success.