GET BACK // Q: Are you a Mod or a Rocker?
The Mods and the Rockers were rival subcultures in the UK in the early 1960s. The Mods were sharp and fashion-forward. Feminine with a bit of androgyny mixed in for good measure. They wore Slim clothes such as deep Chelsea collars & tube skirts. Bouffant Hair styling, Cocktail dresses, Clean lines, oh my! In terms of music, bands like The Who were Mod favourites. They danced all night with a generally polished, urban image. They embraced modernity and fashion. In contrast, there were the rockers. Influenced by 1950s rock and roll. Slicked back pompadours, Leather jackets often decorated with pins. Simple white tees underneath. Think classic rock and roll bad boy. They loved motorcycles and good ol’ fashioned American rock and roll like Elvis and Chuck Berry.
GET BACK // First, we take the 505
Inspired by David Bailey and Jean Shrimpton’s Young Idea Goes West’ from January of 1962. That project featured two British nationals venturing around New York City, with no team or stylist. Shying away from iconic landmarks in favour of more real, down-to-earth spots. Bailey shot in a Journalistic style - shooting black and white 35mm without a tripod. This stood out from its fashion contemporaries at the time.
Unlike Shrimpton and Bailey with Manhattan, Shuana and I are no strangers to Toronto. We sought places that were lived in but also not overly captured. We elected to travel through Chinatown West and its surrounding alleys, stopping for spots overtaken with graffiti off the beaten path. We avoided as many anachronisms as we could. Dodging people on E-scooters and trying our best to keep anything contemporary out of our shots. The title comes from the 2012 BBC film about Jean and Shrimpton’s work, “First We Take Manhattan.” I liked that title and its origin from a Leonard Cohen song. To me, used in the context of Bailey’s work, I felt it connected to youthful ambition, and I liked the idea of taking that battle cry and turning it into a literal direction.
Unlike Shrimpton and Bailey with Manhattan, Shuana and I are no strangers to Toronto. We sought places that were lived in but also not overly captured. We elected to travel through Chinatown West and its surrounding alleys, stopping for spots overtaken with graffiti off the beaten path. We avoided as many anachronisms as we could. Dodging people on E-scooters and trying our best to keep anything contemporary out of our shots. The title comes from the 2012 BBC film about Jean and Shrimpton’s work, “First We Take Manhattan.” I liked that title and its origin from a Leonard Cohen song. To me, used in the context of Bailey’s work, I felt it connected to youthful ambition, and I liked the idea of taking that battle cry and turning it into a literal direction.