Pj Harvey

PJ Harvey live in Concert.

Vox assignment

Another hotel room - New York this time. Shot on my video camera using the night shot, then projected and rephotographed.

Once again back to my front room (Bristol) as photographic studio. Black backdrop white dress. This was the cover image of the White Chalk album Experimenting with long exposures and Polly having to hold... read more still like in early portrait photography. The dress is made by Annie Mochnacz (my twin sister). Annie started making jewellery and clothes for Polly in 2004 on the 'Uh-huh-her' tour, then the clothes were short, skimpy and brightly coloured a bit punk rock, this time we were using second hand materials still, but from vintage shops and the patterns were adapted from full length late eighteenth century dress patterns, one dress had the words of Polly's songs stitched onto it. Another (black) dress had broken mirror pieces glued in a pattern to the hem and skirt. These solo show dresses were much more fitted and intricate, more armour like.

This was taken in my front room in Bristol, temporarily turned into my photographic studio, with white roll backdrop paper gaffer taped to the wall - the clothes were a bunch of my dressing up clothes.... read more We used this as the sleeve for '50ft Queenie' PJ Harvey's 3rd single release, but first for 'Island Records'. - They turned this image into big street posters and ads, it felt like a very exciting time - especially with the posters popping up all over the place, it felt like having an exhibition on the street.

Man Size cover.

This is the cover of 'Rid of Me' Polly's first album for Island Records. When I took this image to the record company and said this is what we want to use for the cover they said great, don't worry we... read more can clean up the muck on the wall, the drips and the plant. I had to say no! It's supposed to be like that - it's part of the picture. It was taken in pitch black in my bathroom with a flash. I remember my housemate Mark who I sharedwith at the time banging on the bathroom door while we were in there and I was shouting back "FUCK OFF! We're making art!" - In a friendly manner, of course.

I was doing some documentary stuff in the studio during the recording of 'Stories From the City.......' Here I have my lens rested against the glass of the vocal booth - because there was glass between... read more us I could photograph during vocal takes. I also experimented with using one film twice through thecamera, so that accidents of layering occurred same subject (Polly in vocal booth) different sizes within the frame - We used some colour layered shots inside the album artwork.

Polly turned up to the studio but didn’t like London so we rescheduled a second attempt in her hometown of Yeovil. Her mood was very different and once asked to walk down the road "with abandon... read more and no inhibitions" she happily agreed.