Johnnie Shand Kydd is having trouble keeping his inquisitive lurcher, Finn, in sight. The sweet-natured dog is hard of hearing and has a history of disappearing on this particular walk in rural Suffolk. At least the photographer has experience with unruly characters. In the 1990s, he embedded himself with the Young British Artists (YBAs), capturing the hedonistic and chaotic art scene that birthed Tracey Emin, Damien Hirst, and Sarah Lucas.
From Art Dealer to Photographer
Shand Kydd, now 66, wasn't a photographer when he began documenting the scene, having barely taken a picture before. But as a former art dealer, he understood artists and their delicate balance of ego and insecurity. The YBAs quickly relaxed in his presence. "It really wasn't very hard," he says. "Taking a photograph is the easiest thing in the world. You just point and click. It's finding something to say that is the hard bit."
Many of his YBA images were taken during gargantuan benders, but he never considered publishing compromising shots. "Why ruin a friendship with these incredible artists for the sake of yet another photo?" he says. His images were published in the 1997 book Spit Fire.
Ramsholt: A Personal Project
Now, Shand Kydd has found inspiration in his lurchers, Finn and Zelda. His new exhibition and photobook, Ramsholt, features photographs taken on his dog-walking route near the Suffolk village where his mother moved in the 1960s. The images capture barren fields, mist-covered trees, and uprooted trunks. When Tracey Emin first saw them, she said, "Your photographs are all about death." Shand Kydd agrees: "With nature you can't have spring without winter. And fungi growing on rotten wood – it's all part of the reincarnation element."
Life and Death Collide
The book includes an essay touching on past family tragedies and the history of Ramsholt, including a B-17 crash that killed eight passengers. Shand Kydd notes that beauty and adventure exist everywhere if we make the effort to look. He often walked without a camera, returning later to capture scenes. "Basic spontaneity was thrown out of the window," he says.
Shand Kydd remains in touch with his former subjects. He recently had lunch with Sarah Lucas, and Sam Taylor-Johnson is making a film based on one of his images. He credits his dogs with keeping him grounded: "If you're wasted in front of an animal, it can really freak them out."
In the UK and Ireland, Samaritans can be contacted on freephone 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org. In the US, call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988. In Australia, Lifeline is 13 11 14.
