Wayne Tippetts On Capturing The Sounds of Subcultures
Interview by Esta Maffrett | 04.10.24
Wayne Tippetts has been capturing subcultures from Camden to Jamaica since his interest in photography began in the seventies. Since then Wayne has captured sounds from the underground in beautifully striking and intimate photographs that reveal us to other worlds among our own.
Can you tell us a bit about your work and how you got started?
At the moment, I'm engaged in several exciting projects. My upcoming publication is a book documenting the railway journey from Kingston to Montego Bay in Jamaica, which I photographed in 1991, just a year before the line was shut down. In addition, I’m working on a collection of photos I took in June 1985 at the Fridge nightclub, when it moved to a larger venue at the old Palladium cinema in Brixton. A month earlier, in May, I photographed backstage at the Alternative Miss World event at Brixton Academy. I was fortunate enough to be backstage with one of the contestants, armed with my trusty Leica M2, a 50mm lens, a Nikon F4, and a Metz flash, which allowed me to capture moments both behind the scenes and in the crowd. Both of these photo sets, taken 3 years before section 28 came into effect. Capture a period of significant cultural change and offer a glimpse into the precursors of rave culture. I'm planning to bring both sets together for an upcoming project.
Last year, Café Royal Books published a selection of my *Sound System Culture* photographs, taken in Jamaica and the UK between 1986-88. Next year, I plan to publish *Inna Dancehall Style*, a tribute to the creativity and spirit of the Dancehall Queens — the women who shaped the golden era of dancehall with their bold fashion, vibrant colours, slick hairstyles, and innovative dance moves. I'm also working on several other projects, including a small *BanglaTown* series I shot in the early '90s around Brick Lane. I continue to photograph subcultural events such as the Notting Hill Carnival, Swifties at Wembley, and London Fashion Week.
Has subculture always been the focus of your photography?
Yes subculture has been my main focus. Early on, I realised that my true interest lay in social documentary photography and subculture. However, although I’ve documented music and subculture, social documentary photography has always been the foundation of my work and central to my projects and archives.
I began my journey with photography during a foundation course at Taunton Art School around ’77. After moving to London, I took a documentary photography course that was transformative. From '82 to '85, I studied photography at the Polytechnic of North East London. My early days were spent photographing in Camden, but my approach to photography became more serious after a trip to Jamaica in '86. Between 1986 and 1992, I travelled frequently to Jamaica and eventually taught part-time there in ’93. I spent considerable time documenting Jamaican life, covering topics like sound system culture (published by Café Royal Books), religion, the racetrack (Bump Books), dancehall culture, sugar plantations, and the railway. Earlier this year, I published a zine with Bump Books called *Racetrack Warriors*, featuring colour digital images from the Caymanas Park Racetrack between 2013-16. I had also shot the racetrack in film in black and white between 1986-2001, and I plan to publish them in a book titled *The Longshot*.
Were you part of any subculture growing up?
I was a punk, and it was during the peak of punk itself. I wasn’t a poser — I was there, attending gigs, seeing bands, and living through an incredible time. I also lived in Bristol near St Pauls for a while in the '70s, which connected me with Jamaican subculture for the first time.
When you were photographing Camden, were there any particular venues or hangouts you frequented?
In Camden, I spent a lot of time at the Electric Ballroom and Dingwalls on the weekends.
Sound system culture is known for its mobility. How did that influence your photography in Jamaica?
Exactly, sound system culture is inherently mobile. When I was working on my dancehall project in Jamaica, the main venue was the House of Leo- a yard in the back of a house in Kingston. I’d go down on Thursday nights to photograph. There were also shopping malls nearby where I captured images. Other venues existed too, but I had to be very careful where I pointed my camera.
How did women in the dancehall scene react to being photographed?
They were very receptive. I think they enjoyed it. There were local photographers too — people would pose against walls, and the photographers would return the following week to sell the photos. Nowadays, they use small printers in their cars to provide instant digital prints. The scene has evolved, with dance troupes, competitions, and many other activities.
What projects are you working on at the moment?
I’m publishing a book about the Jamaican railway journey between Kingston and Montego Bay, which I photographed in 1991, just a year before the line was closed.
Last year Café Royal Books published a selection of my *Sound System Culture* photographs taken in Jamaica and the UK between 1986-88. Next year, I plan to publish *Inna Dancehall Style*, a tribute to the creativity and spirit of the Dancehall Queens, the women who shaped the golden era of dancehall with their bold fashion, vibrant colours, slick hairstyles, and innovative dance moves. I'm also working on several other projects, including a *BanglaTown* a small series I shot in the early '90s around brick lane . I also continue to photograph street photography of subcultural events such as the Notting Hill Carnival, Swifties at Wembley, and London Fashion Week.
I should also mention that I started a fashion blog called *Streetstyleaesthetic* back in 2008, before Instagram and when social media was still in its infancy. It’s still online to view. Interestingly, many fashion editors and street-style photographers I’ve met over the years only know me as a street fashion photographer and have no idea about my career as a photojournalist and social documentary photographer.
If you could donate one object to the Museum of Youth Culture, what would it be and why?
I’d donate my leather jacket from my punk days. It was a biker jacket that quickly became covered in badges, torn, ripped, and faded over the years. I wore it religiously into the early '90s. I remember wearing it when I showed a project on child boxing in London’s East End to *The Observer*. Then picture editor, Tony McGrath, who said, "Great photographs, but next time, please don’t wear that jacket." I went on to shoot more for the Observer for the project, which was published later that year in 1991 as "Kid Gloves."