June 2011
Having recently been in Samaipata Bolivia (now part of the 'Che Guevara Trail'), and that I was re-reading his autobiographical Motorcycle Diaries, I suppose it was hardly surprising that I began to notice people wearing t-shirts bearing Che Guevara's image.
Having recently been in Samaipata Bolivia (now part of the 'Che Guevara Trail'), and that I was re-reading his autobiographical Motorcycle Diaries, I suppose it was hardly surprising that I began to notice people wearing t-shirts bearing Che Guevara's image.
Jimi Hendrix
was also well represented, as was James Dean, The Beatles, Marilyn
Monroe, Jim Morrison, and any number of other cult heroes (a few still alive but mostly dead). Che outnumbered all the others though — wherever I looked he seemed to be looking at me, or rather, staring past me into the distance.
Victor (Vondel Park Amsterdam) was my first ‘ask’ though shortly afterwards I realised that Rory (with Budge the crow) had also been wearing a Che t-shirt, so the theme had already been established.
Having approached Rory, and then asked to take his photo, I continued with this same idea. Now that the world has become saturated with images (and cameras), and we have little say in whether our own image is captured (or how it may be used), I made a point of introducing myself and explaining what I was doing. The engagement became as important as taking the photo. In nearly all cases I had only seconds to react, often on busy streets, so the results are a record of that moment. Most people were only too happy to pose for me with their hero. Only two people refused to have their photograph taken.
