Tom Hunter + VESPA

Words of Tom Hunter, Photograher:

"In this project I wanted to create photographs, which talk about the incredible history of London through its fashions and tastes. By working with the Museum of London’s amazing collection of artefacts dating from the 17th century to the 1960’s, I was given a unique opportunity to look at the passing of time here in London. This gave me the feeling of being a time lord, travelling from one period to next, like Dr Who in his tardis.

In these photographs I wanted to convey this freedom to travel in time, as you would do when you walk through the museum itself. But unlike the museum, which sets out to make sense of history, through text panels and dating, I set out to confuse.
I decided to concentrate on three main elements from the museum; sets such as the 1920’s Selfridges lift and the 17th century Newgate prison cell, costumes such as the 18th century city merchant and a 1950’s nippy waitress outfit, and the people working presently with the Museum, such as the curators and trustees.

By combining and mixing up these three elements we have created unique and surprising portraits, which steal from different times and fashions like time bandits.
This scrambling of different elements works in disorientating the viewer by creating a visual jigsaw puzzle, challenging the viewer to make sense of the images, which are clearly at odds with what one expects from period portraits."

http://www.tomhunter.org/