Prints for Queers
Last year, photographer Matt Ford initiated his project Prints for Queers which culminated in an exhibition at Dalston Superstore. We caught up with the London-based queer artist to look back on how the project went and, more importantly, what we can expect from him next!
Photography Matt Ford
Hi Matt, how are you doing?
Hi, I'm good, thanks! My next exhibition is about to start the shooting stage so it's a super exciting time creatively.
Before we talk about your new project… the exhibition at Dalston Superstore just finished. Looking back, how do you feel about the project now?
The money we raised for Rainbow Railroad, the feedback I got from the queer community, hearing how the portraits have made people feel validated or even celebrated has been worth every minute of the time I put into it. And besides that, being a portrait Photographer and putting on an exhibition is a great way to meet your heroes.
Tell us about the biggest challenges when you started. Did everyone you asked say yes? Any things you would have done differently?
Everybody I asked to be in the show said yes. Though I did lose a few bigger names due to scheduling issues. Creatively, no, it all went better than planned. I've also found an amazing international fine art print supplier, who deal with all the logistics.
What was the most unexpected thing that happened?
The most unexpected thing was the amazing support we got from the press and how it made the subjects feel being part of something bigger. I got interview by Dazed, Hero and it was featured in Attitude, GQ and many others. It even got referenced casually in the Guardian at one point. This all really helped to push the credibility of it! Some of the images are also being featured in two up and coming Queer coffee table books.
You initiated Prints for Queers with the main goal to raise funds for Rainbow Railroad. Why did you choose this charity specifically?
At the time of starting the exhibition, Afghanistan had just been taken by the Taliban. Since then it has been a horrendous time for everybody there but I started to hear stories about LGBTQ+ people being hunted down so that the Taliban could stone them to death or enforce other terrible punishments. The Taliban were even threatening the families of these people, in order to reveal where they were hiding. We have a long way to go in terms of Queer rights and attitudes towards Queer people in the UK. But I just can't imagine literally having nowhere to turn to and having to fear for my life like that.
So one of the things that Rainbow Railroad does is create a lifeline for LGBTQ+ people to get out of these situations – not just in Afghanistan, but all over the world. They provide helplines with info on escape routes, they help them with immigration papers – in a nutshell they are saving lives. This feels like the biggest and most immediate global LGBTQ+ issue that needs people’s help and attention right now!
June, aka Pride month is here. What meaning does Pride have for you these days and how do you think we can all contribute something meaningful?
Pride feels like it's evolved from a protest into a celebration. I mean protests aren't generally sponsored by Tesco. It's a celebration of gaining the Queer rights we now have and to losing phobias that used to exist more prevalently. So go out and celebrate – make some noise!
BUT there is still work to be done. What is the government actually doing for trans rights, healthcare and the conversion therapy madness? What countries is it still illegal to be gay in and why are the punishments so severe and is there anything we can do about it? Why are there still repeated hate crimes and ignorance in our own country, even down to the micro aggressions we feel on a daily basis? Until the day I feel like I can 100% dress how I feel, act and talk as freely as straight people, even just hold my partner’s hand in public without drawing attention to myself, will I feel like the work is done.
“Being a queer ally doesn't just mean straight people or companies supporting Queer people. Queer people can also be allies from within the community.”
The idea of equality is a long way off and unfortunately because of changing governments and idiots like JK Rowling spreading their twisted rhetoric the goal posts are constantly changing.
This is something we can all work on improving 365 days a year – not just by going to Pride once a year and buying an Apple pride watch strap or Primark rainbow vest. Being a queer ally doesn't just mean straight people or companies supporting Queer people. Queer people can also be allies from within the community by supporting their Queer brothers and sisters on a daily basis and raising the issues that we might not personally be facing right now but others are.
What are your plans for Pride in London in July?
I haven't made any plans yet. I'm just hoping for good weather, lots of friends and a good party. It's been sad not to be able to celebrate it the past few years so bring it on. It's a joyous day and I want to spend it with both my straight and queer friends. Everybody is welcome. Isn't that the point?
Now that this project has come to an end, do you have something new you are working and you can tell us about?
My next exhibition, that I've been working on for a while now, is launching in November. I'm so excited about it that it's taken over my life. The exhibition, 'VOYEUR: Stories, portraits and kinks' is an unapologetic deep dive into human sexuality through the guise of kink and fetish. It's the most ambitious project I've done so far. The subjects this time are not all Queer.
The work for the show is already well underway and I've been hanging around and photographing people who you could say are on the fringes of sexual normality. The first shoot was with a gay leather daddy, called Will Rockville, who, while talking about his iconic Tom of Finland-esqe bondage gear and tattoos, was also telling me about how at the age of 60, he found community and solace in the leather community after he broke up from his long term partner. Not only is the rest of the story (to be shown at the VOYEUR show) fascinating, he's just one of the coolest people I've ever met!
I have also been working with a professional female Dominatrix called Miss Audrey Brynn. For lack of a better description, she gets paid to smack the shit out of people for sexual kicks. Even if you are not into BDSM, we all know about the pleasures some people enjoy by being put into a controlled submissive situation. Audrey and I got into a discussion about how consent for doing this is key to her work and how people have tried to break the rules resulting in her cutting professional ties with clients. Consent is a thin but definite line and her story helps to explain this so well. We also got some very naughty pictures of her and a whip and I just love them! Her conscious lack of inhibitions during the shoot were infectious.
Even though the subject matter for this exhibition is very different to Prints for Queers, some of the goals of what I want to achieve are the same.
“I think sexuality and gender along with race and religion are two of the main things in society that create segregation.”
I hope by photographing the people I meet and showing them in a new light that first of all: the subjects feel heard, celebrated and empowered, but also that the viewer (lets call them the VOYEUR in this case) will learn something new, get to know these people on the level that I have and hopefully start to break down any stigma or ignorance that surrounds diverse (or on the fringes) sexual practices.
I think sexuality and gender along with race and religion are two of the main things in society that create segregation. If people took the time to learn about each other and got over their fears of unfamiliar things, then the world could be a better place.
Thank you, we can’t wait to see more of the new project soon!
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