Pictures or words?
Usually for this column I look back in my phone photo album for inspiration, but this week I can’t show you the most outstanding image because it’s disgusting.
This got me thinking about pictures and words and the instances where it’s preferable to have all one and not the other.
Last weekend I met a man called Tom who described himself a long form journalist. He said he liked our BOTHER magazine because of the high ratio of word content to images. He sad that he wished commissioning editors wouldn’t ask him for so many photos. He’d really like to focus more on the words. As we parted company I told him to pitch us a feature that is all text for BOTHER. Let’s see if he does.
Next I was in Manchester with Vic this week doing a photo shoot for our new selvedge denim Bob Job Chore Coat. Vic is an artist as well as being the content commandant for HebTroCo. One of her specialisms is paste art. The work is printed or painted on paper and then posted up in public spaces with wallpaper paste. It’s a bit like non permanent graffiti, there’s some fantastic vibrant work and even community organised festivals. In the Northern Quarter we stumbled on a wall filled with amazing paste up art which we used as a backdrop for some of our photos.
Paste up art by @wilko.official @d7606art @diogo.rustoff @supersnailstreetart @guerreroprojects
Later we saw this great experimental music gig poster that is all text and on images. It stands out by this difference and I want to go.
So what was the disgusting photo? Well in an alley down in China Town where we were taking some photos we came across a grizzly sight. Someone, presumably in desperation, had curled out a poo on the ground. With no paper to wipe they had used their bucket hat. How very Manchester! It was an Olly Murs 15 Years of Hits tour hat. As Vic eloquently put it, “the shit has really hit the fan”.
Ed Oxley
Bob Job Chore Coat14oz selvedge denim
Longer than a jacket with room for layers beneath. Characterful indigo selvedge denim that will keep looking better with age and wear. Beautiful contrast tobacco colour stitching. Designed on our Calderdale cutting table, made for us in Leicester.