In New Jersey-born, London-based image maker Jordan Hemingway’s work, goths, fetishists, and models unite in an uncanny celebration of subculture – always bathing in his characteristically dark black, blue, and red tones. He makes fashion and documentary films and photos that push image making beyond safe conventions, and it’s all instinctive.
Take his 2018 NOWNESS documentary Anatomy of Goth – an eerily experimental study of London’s goth underground – as a prime example. The gritty film lifts the lid on goth’s inherent queerness by capturing East London’s goth scene and its intersection with rave, fetish, and fashion.
Hemingway’s obsession with image making began during a skate injury that saw him pick up a camera for the first time. From there, he taught himself everything from internet forums and now makes his work instinctually, offering us a part of his psyche with every image.
In January, he photographed and released a zine for Stefano Pilati’s clothing label Random Identities, before he began working alongside Rei Kawakubo on the creative development for Comme Des Garçons, creating videos and photos for womenswear and menswear. The filmmaker has also created fashion films for the likes of Raf Simons, and worked with musicians; his 2018 album shoot saw Yves Tumor venture down a gothic version of Alice’s rabbit hole.
Lexi Manatakis