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Twenty-five years ago, I was working as a tutor in the Photography Department at the Kent Institute of Art & Design (KIAD), Rochester, Kent. On 8 May 2001, a shuttered school in Hackney Downs, London reopened its doors for the private view of a photographic exhibition. The exhibition showcased the final-year work of students on
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These hazel catkins were the earliest sign of things to come I could identify at the outset of the new year—lovely long tassels with their acidic yellow-green pollen. To create these images for The Kick-About No.149, I scanned the catkins face-down on the scanning bed, but then laid two layers of organza down on top
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In our last Kick-About, the humble polka dot gave rise to play, repetition, and festive rhythm. This week, the mood softens. Our prompt looks to Vincent van Gogh and his vision of almond blossom — an image of quiet optimism, fragility, and renewal. As always, the works that follow were made in a short time—and
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I was going to make some moving image thing in response to this fun prompt for The Kick-About No.148, but alas it wasn’t to be. Nonetheless, I was able to produce these images following the workflow I had in mind for the film. What I’ve ended up with are these vintage-looking images that look like
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In our last Kick-About, Saturnalia gave us licence for excess, reversal, and a bit of festive misrule. This week, we shift to something lighter and more playful: polka dot—a simple pattern often linked with luck, abundance, and new beginnings at this time of year. As always, the works that follow were made in a short
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I took my camera out on a recent late night walk along Whitstable highstreet—lots of twinkly lights.
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I like a ghost story at Christmas, and this year is no exception. This time last year it was a dark little tale about a boy and his advent calendar, and the year before that, a creepy number about Santa himself. Back in 2021, it was a story about three brothers in an attic one
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In our last Kick-About, we played with the bright, decorative possibilities of the bauble. This week, things take a livelier turn with Saturnalia—a prompt drawn from an ancient midwinter festival known for its loosened rules, reversals, and moments of mischief. As always, the works that follow were made in a short time—and for all previous
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This response to The Kick-About No.146 began with an earworm—the phrase,‘You’re a bauble, Barbara—a toy—nothing more!’ After that, as is the way with stories, it was a matter of figuring out to whom this scrap of dialogue belonged—and who ‘Barbara’ might be. The resulting ballad, if you can call it that, was fun to figure
Red's Kingdom 