Dave Swindells
Dave Swindells is a British photographer who captured the club scene throughout the 80s. Dave Swindells studied university in Sheffield. Swindells then graduated and began working and living in London. At the club where he worked he was fired for not doing his job and using the time to take photographs. 1995 was the year that Dave Swindells began capturing people within clubs and started working for ‘Time Out as the nightlife editor’ - “Time Out Group is a global media and entertainment company. Its digital and physical presence comprises websites, mobile editions, magazines, live events and markets. Time Out covers events, entertainment and culture in cities across the world”.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time_Out_Group and stayed working with the company from 1986 until 2009.
I found many articles about Dave Swindells work, one article which was particularly interesting was on the Aperture website which was written by Sheryl Garrat in January 2020.
What interests me about Dave Swindells work is the sense of community which he is creating in the club scenes, not to mention the bright and bold colours that the photographs have been taken in.
There were many statements which expressed personal opinions of Dave Swindells work, what I liked the most about it was that people stated that “In Dave Swindells's photographs, nightclubs become spaces for community and belonging.” Which made me think about my current project and how I am wanting to create a body of photographic work displayed in a video about a sense of community within my friend circle and how we are involved in the free party scene and culture.
In the article on Aperture a DJ named Danny Rampling talks about his nightclub Shoom and the nights that were held there; “It was very spiritual. Some of those moments in the club were unbelievable. People literally went into trance states, including me. Not from the use of drugs, but from that music and the human energy that was going around [the room]. That’s not something that had happened in Britain for centuries. The feeling in that small space was so intense some nights.”
The music in my opinion is a very important part of the night, if the music is good you can just become in a sort of trance, as the Dj Danny Rampling suggests above and just dance all you're worries away, it's a time to feel free.
A writer named Hakim Bey suggests that's clubs have always been a place a safe to experiment, explore freedom and self expression;
"At their best, nightclubs have always functioned as what the anarchist writer Hakim Bey calls “temporary autonomous zones”––safe spaces where we can experiment, express ourselves, and explore freedoms we may not be allowed in daily life. In clubs, we can find our tribe, feel a real sense of belonging and community. They are also often at the forefront of social change, encouraging racial integration and asserting gay rights."
In many of the statements I have collected over the last few months people who responded to 'why do you go to free parties' mainly said to have a sense of freedom, to express themselves and because of the 'tribe' or 'community' that they feel they connect with and belong to. It is interesting to find more information that suggests these positive factors to the scene.
According to the article on Aperture it states that the birth of acid house and the illegal parties encouraged restrictions and laws to loosen within the club scene.
"In the case of acid house, overwhelming numbers of clubgoers defying the police to dance all night at huge, illegal parties eventually led––after new laws failed to contain them––to a gradual loosening of the draconian restrictions on both club opening hours and the sale and consumption of alcohol in the U.K."
I hadn't realised or came across this information before so this is useful to know when finding information for my dissertation.
The image above was taken by Dave Swindells, it is titled;
Courtesy the artist
It is a beautifully lit photograph and the subject appears to be in her element which is a great expression within a photo, many people who are captured whilst dancing have a look about them which is just stunning.
The photo below is one I have taken and it reminded me of Dave Swindells image above. This portrait of one of my best friends is very beautiful to me, she is completely in the moment and very happy to be dancing to music outdoors in the wilderness.
. Dave Swindells says that "The Internet has given us new ways of finding our tribe, but Swindells says that feeling of togetherness, of being part of something bigger than yourself, can still be found in the clubs on a good night."
This is something mentionable in my research as he is suggesting that technology and times have changed as we now have the Internet.
I am inspired by the bright colours displayed in Dave Swindells work, I love the way he has captured his subjects in what appears to be a very happy moment. The trails of light portray movement and this is something I have been experimenting with in my own practice.
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