Ewen Spencer - While You Were Sleeping 1998 - 2000

In the late 1990s as a graduate from art school I began making pictures for my beloved Sleazenation magazine and in particular for the infamous listing pages to the rear of the magazine that were called "Savoir Vivre" (loosely translated as to know how to live!) The images were made in B&W and were immensely candid and full of characters that seems to be everywhere at that time. The images on the pages were essentially describing to those that liked to go clubbing what they actually looked like, what those in the provinces who desired the decadent lifestyle of the urban cool could eventually look like and for the international reader in the fashion capitals of Paris, Milan and Rome it kept them wondering what on earth was going on. London was at the epicentre of a cultural boom. Small clubs, parties and discos where a plenty in venues from North to South and I was in a minicab and night bus taking in 3-4 of an evening. My weekends were a write off and I slept most of Monday trying to recover…Here are the spoils for while my young son was sleeping I was involved in capturing a period in time that was filled with love, lust and messy authenticity, carefree and devoid of today's global, big tech cynicism. Nothing here was perceived or played out. It was done with wide eyed hope and wonder and I'm not sure we can ever return to this place or at least not for a good while. As my world as a photographer has expanded throughout the capitals of Europe and across the Atlantic shooting campaigns and fashion editorials for V magazine, POP and Vogue Hommes I can look at these pictures with perhaps some greater objectivity. My son, now in his early 20s sits beside me and discusses those times and how they differ from today as he negotiates the beginning of his creative journey. These pictures aren’t about Teds, Skinheads, Northern Soul, Acid House or Jungle and Garage, they’re not about Nu Metal or South London blackout clubs…but they are all here alongside high street carpet