Ewen Spencer

Spencer studied editorial photography under photographers Paul Reas and Mark Power at the School of Art and Design at the University of Brighton.{{cite web|url = http://arts.brighton.ac.uk/faculty-of-arts-brighton/alumni-and-associates/associates-and-alumni/photography/ewen-spencer | accessdate = 3 April 2014 | publisher = University of Brighton | title = Ewen Spencer}} He graduated in 1997.

In 1999 he worked photographing nightlife, such as the UK garage scene, for fashion and lifestyle magazine Sleazenation.{{cite news|url = https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2012/oct/24/ewen-spencer-best-photograph?INTCMP=SRCH| date = 24 October 2012 | accessdate = 12 June 2013 | publisher= The Guardian| title = Ewen Spencer's best photograph: MCs at a UK garage rave}}

Between 2001 and 2005 Spencer photographed the American rock band The White Stripes.{{cite news|url = https://www.theguardian.com/music/gallery/2010/oct/24/the-white-stripes| date = 24 October 2010 | accessdate = 14 December 2010 | publisher= The Observer| title = The White Stripes: The last great rock band}}{{cite web|url = http://i-donline.com/2010/10/ewen-spencer-three%E2%80%99s-a-crowd/ | date = 25 October 2010| accessdate = 22 April 2013 | last = Tootill | first = Liam | publisher = i-D | title = Ewen Spencer: Three’s a Crowd}}{{cite web|url = http://www.nme.com/photos/the-white-stripes-rare-shots-by-ewen-spencer/246942/1/1| date = 20 September 2011 | title = The White Stripes - rare shots by Ewen Spencer | accessdate = 9 March 2012 | format = PDF}} Initially for the NME, he photographed shows from their first UK tour onwards, including candid backstage photographs. In 2010 he self-published Three's a Crowd, documenting the early stages of the band's rise to popularity.

In 2002 photographer Martin Parr tipped Spencer as the most promising newcomer of that year.{{cite web|url = http://arts.brighton.ac.uk/faculty-of-arts-brighton/alumni-and-associates/associates-and-alumni/photography/ewen-spencer | accessdate = 22 April 2013 | publisher = University of Brighton Faculty of Arts | title = Ewen Spencer}}

Spencer has also photographed London's grime music,Mike Skinner, "[https://www.theguardian.com/music/2005/jul/15/3 'This is what real British rap looks like']", Guardian, 15 July 2005. Accessed 2010-12-14.Mary O'Hara, "[https://www.theguardian.com/society/2006/jun/28/socialcare.guardiansocietysupplement Pictures prove that the kids are all right]", Guardian, 28 June 2006. Accessed 2010-12-14.{{cite news |url = http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/in-pictures-19722258 | date = 3 October 2012 | accessdate = 12 June 2013 | first= Phil | last= Coomes | publisher = BBC | title = England’s Dreaming}} which resulted in his book Open Mic, which was awarded a Yellow Pencil certificate for photographic publishing by D&AD in 2005.{{cite web|url = http://arts.brighton.ac.uk/faculty-of-arts-brighton/alumni-and-associates/associates-and-alumni/photography/ewen-spencer | accessdate = 26 June 2013 | publisher = University of Brighton Faculty of Arts | title = Ewen Spencer - Alumni and associates: photography, film and performance - University of Brighton - Faculty of Arts}} In his introduction to Open Mic, Martin Parr wrote:

Ewen Spencer has already established his reputation, in recent years, as a photographer of much talent with his work on youth culture, but now he turns his attention to the 'grime' music scene in London... This is where Spencer's quality as a photographer really begins to work. He has thrown himself into this whole scene with such enthusiasm and dedication that he has won over the confidence of the key players on the grime circuit. This demonstrates how the potential magic of contemporary photography begins to operate. Because Spencer's photography is so compelling, the viewer begins to understand what attracted him in the first place... This scene is about energy... Ewen Spencer's photographs are also about energy, making visual sense of the wonderful anarchy of grime. Spencer brings the same raw passion to his photographs; I think those who view them benefit from this engagement.

Writing for the Huffington Post in 2012, Alice Vincent said "it is his photography from the front line of genuine youth culture that are the most striking. The rituals of sex and socialising are prominent, with Spencer's images seeming to be captured by an invisible voyeur." In a 2012 interview for The Guardian, Spencer named Dick Hebdige, Tom Wood, and Pete Townshend as influences.

In 2013, GOST published Spencer's book of photographs of UK garage, UKG. Writing in The Guardian, Mike Skinner wrote of UKG that:

Ewen's photographs start when the scene was moving at its fastest, and go right up to Moving Too Fast. The first thing I wondered when I saw them was how he didn't get beaten up for snapping such intimate moments of some pretty certified-looking badmen. But my second, more lasting impression was how much more rich in detail they were than my fading typecast memory. . . . But the important and exciting thing about Ewen's photos are that they take you back to the real thing. . . .{{cite news|url = https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2013/nov/14/mike-skinner-uk-garage-ewen-spencer?CMP=twt_gu | date = 14 November 2013 | accessdate = 16 November 2013 | publisher= The Guardian| title = Booooo: Mike Skinner on the glory days of UK garage}}

In 2016 he was commissioned by Photoworks and Fabrica to produce a body of work for Brighton Photo Biennial. With Kick over the statues Spencer's intention was to re-establish a belief in youth tribes and style. Young Londoners were cast along the route of the August 2016 Notting Hill Carnival and against locations in Liverpool. These cities celebrate and enhance the idea of a UK diaspora, through style and cultural background with an association to music and culture that recalls the history of British subcultures and invents its own contemporary incarnations. The gallery installation resembled a snapshot of how photography is often encountered in the streets of a modern city. Large format images posted onto custom-built billboards are supplemented with music and projected images.{{Citation needed|date=April 2021}}

His photography has appeared in The Guardian{{cite news |url = https://www.theguardian.com/theguardian/2011/feb/05/white-stripes-remembered?INTCMP=SRCH | date = 5 February 2011 | accessdate = 12 June 2013 | first1=Stevie |last1=Chick | first2=Ewen |last2=Spencer | publisher = The Guardian | title = The White Stripes: Detroit's rock heroes remembered}} and he has worked for the NME, The Face, Nike, Apple, Smirnoff, Footlocker, JD Sports, Sony, Reebok, T-Mobile, Toyota, Vodafone and Channel 4 (photographing on the set of E4's series Skins). He took the inner liner photographs for the album Original Pirate Material by The Streets.{{cite web|url = http://www.vice.com/en_uk/read/ewen-spencer-photographed-all-the-best-uk-garage-nights | date = June 2013 | accessdate = 13 June 2013 | last = Martin | first = Clive | publisher = Vice United Kingdom | title = The Soul of UK Garage, As Photographed by Ewen Spencer}}

Spencer's Brandy & Coke (2014), about UK garage, was broadcast on Channel 4 in 2014 as part of the first of their Music Nation music documentary series with Dazed. Writing in The Guardian in 2014, Sam Richards called it "excellent".{{cite news | url = https://www.theguardian.com/culture/live/2014/oct/21/peep-show-zane-lowe-drive-pop-culture-news | date = 21 October 2014 | accessdate = 9 March 2015 | first = Sam | last = Richards | newspaper = The Guardian | title = The day when Orbital split up and we reminisced about Peep Show}} Open Mic (2014), about grime music, was broadcast in the second series.{{cite news | url = http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/features/bbc2s-the-fall-returns-next-week-and-the-psychokiller-tale-is-not-so-sexist-9845015.html | date = 6 November 2014 | accessdate = 9 March 2015 | first = Ellen | last = Jones | newspaper = The Independent | title = BBC2’s The Fall returns next week and the psycho-killer tale is not so sexist }}{{cite web | url = http://www.channel4.com/info/press/news/c4-and-dazeds-music-nation-returns-for-a-second-series-in-november | date = 9 March 2015 | accessdate = 9 March 2015 | publisher = Channel 4 | title = C4 and Dazed's Music Nation returns for a second series in November }}{{cite web | url = http://www.dazeddigital.com/music/article/19336/1/say-hi-to-music-nation-new-channel-4-documentary-series | first = Zing | last = Tsjeng | date = 21 March 2014 | accessdate = 9 March 2015 | publisher = Dazed | title = Say hi to Music Nation, our new Channel 4 documentary series}} Ellen E. Jones, writing in The Independent in 2014, said "There are enough ideas in 'Open Mic', the opening film from Ewen Spencer, to justify a whole series of films on grime music alone." In 2015 Spencer was commissioned by i-D to make a four-part series for Channel 4, Street, Sound and Style,[http://www.channel4.com/programmes/street-sound-and-style Web page about Street, Sound and Style, Channel 4.] describing how music and street style subcultures have changed the face of British pop culture.

File:ThreesaCrowd2Cover.jpg

• Open Mic. Self-published, 2005. {{ISBN|0-9550840-0-8}}. Photographs of young people involved in the Grime music scene in London. Introductions by Martin Parr and Mike Skinner.Its website is [http://www.ewenspencer.com/#/folio/open-mic/1].
• UKG. London: GOST, 2013. {{ISBN|978-0-957427-25-9}}. Photographs of people involved in UK garage music. Edition of 1,000 copies. With an essay by Jason Evans, "Meanwhile, on the Other Side of Town".Its web page is [http://www.gostbooks.com/books/37/ukg].{{cite news|url = https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/gallery/2013/nov/14/uk-garage-scene-pictures-ewen-spencer-ukg | date = 14 November 2013 | accessdate = 16 November 2013 | work= The Guardian| title = Back to the bogle: the UK garage scene – in pictures}}
• Open Mic Vol.2. Brighton: See-W, 2014. {{ISBN|9780955084058}}. Edition of 500 copies. Additional photographs from his Open Mic series plus interviews made for the film Open Mic (2014) with DJ Slimzee, Dizzee Rascal, Kano, Lethal B, Newham Generals, Jammer, JME, Ratty (Lord of the Mics) and Logan Sama.{{cite web|accessdate=2021-04-15|title=King of documenting counterculture, Ewen Spencer is back with a new book|url=https://www.itsnicethat.com/articles/ewen-spencer-4|website=www.itsnicethat.com}}
• Young Love. London: Stanley Barker, 2017. {{ISBN|9780995555556}}. Edition of 1000 copies.{{cite web|accessdate=2021-04-15|title=Young love lasts a lifetime: Ewen Spencer on his new book|url=https://www.itsnicethat.com/articles/ewen-spencer-young-love-070817|website=www.itsnicethat.com}}{{cite web|accessdate=2021-04-15|title=Ewen Spencer's exploration of love (and lust) of teenagers at youth clubs across Britain|url=http://www.creativeboom.com/inspiration/ewen-spencers-exploration-of-love-and-lust-of-teenagers-at-youth-clubs-across-britain/|date=23 August 2017|website=Creative Boom}}
• While you Were Sleeping: 1998–2000. Bologna, Italy: Damiani, 2022. {{ISBN|978-8862087698}}. With text by Elaine Constantine and an interview with Justin Quirk.{{cite web|access-date=2022-04-27|title=‘We’ve always been very good at enjoying ourselves’: Ewen Spencer’s photographs of a lost clubbing generation|url=https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2022/feb/20/ewen-spencer-dance-club-photography-while-you-were-sleeping-interview|date=20 February 2022|website=The Guardian}}{{cite web|last1=Dazed|access-date=2022-04-27|title=These photos capture the hedonistic club culture of late 90s Britain|url=https://www.dazeddigital.com/art-photography/article/55575/1/photos-capture-hedonistic-club-90s-britain-ewen-spencer-while-you-were-sleeping|date=1 March 2022|website=Dazed}}

• Three's a Crowd Vol. 1. Self-published, 2010. Edition of 500 copies. Photographs of The White Stripes.Its website is [http://www.ewenspencer.com/#/shop/2/1].
• Three's a Crowd Vol. 2. Self-published, 2011. {{ISBN|978-0-955084-02-7}}. Photographs of The White Stripes.Its website is [http://www.ewenspencer.com/#/shop/3/1].
• Guapamente (issue 1). Self-published, 2013. {{ISBN|978-0-955084-01-0}}. Photographs of young people in Naples, Italy. Edition of 300 copies.
• Guapamente (issue 2). Self-published, 2014. Photographs of young people in Marseille, France. Edition of 300 copies.
• Guapamente (issue 3). Self-published, 2014. {{ISBN|978-0-955084-03-4}}. Photographs of young people in Miami, FL. Edition of 300 copies.
• Guapamente (issue 4). Brighton: See-W, 2015. {{ISBN|978-0-9550840-6-5}}. Photographs of roller skaters in London. Edition of 300 copies.
• Guapamente (issue 5): Bring, Come, Punish. Brighton: ES Books. {{ISBN| 978-0-9550840-4-1}}. Edition of 200 copies

• HOST Portfolio, 8 Magazine, Issue 24: Resistance, Foto8, 2008.It is available to read at [http://www.foto8.com/live/issue-24/].

• Brandy & Coke, 2013. 8 m short. Directed by Ewen Spencer, produced by Denna Cartamkhoob, for DazedBrandy & Coke (8 m version) is available to watch at Dazed [http://www.dazeddigital.com/artsandculture/article/18423/1/brandy-coke here].{{cite web|url = http://www.somesuchandco.com/home/brandy-coke/ | accessdate = 20 January 2014 | publisher = Dazed | title = Brandy & Coke}}{{cite web|url = http://www.factmag.com/2014/01/14/watch-ewen-spencers-uk-garage-documentary-brandy-coke/ | date = 14 January 2014 | accessdate = 20 January 2014 | publisher = Fact | title = Brandy & Coke}}{{cite web | url = http://www.gillespetersonworldwide.com/ewen-spencer-brandy-coke-golden-days-of-uk-garage/ | date = 14 January 2014 | accessdate = 20 January 2014 | publisher = Gilles Peterson | title = Ewen Spencer // Brandy & Coke // Golden Days of UK Garage | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140203022200/http://www.gillespetersonworldwide.com/ewen-spencer-brandy-coke-golden-days-of-uk-garage/ | archive-date = 3 February 2014 | url-status = dead }}
• Brandy & Coke, 2014. 22 m short. Directed by Ewen Spencer, produced by Denna Cartamkhoob and Adam FarleyBrandy & Coke (22 m version) is available to watch on Vimeo [http://vimeo.com/94165736 here].{{cite web|url=http://www.radiotimes.com/episode/ctzqwp/music-on-4-music-nation--series-1---1-brandy--coke|title=Music on 4: Music Nation|date=2 April 2014|work=Radio Times|accessdate=2 April 2014}}{{cite web|url = http://www.dazeddigital.com/photography/article/19440/1/the-golden-days-of-garage-ewen-spencer-interview | date = 2 April 2014 | accessdate = 2 April 2014 | publisher = Dazed | title = The golden age of garage}}
• Open Mic, 2014. 23 m short. Directed by Ewen Spencer. Commissioned by Channel 4 as part of the Music Nation series.Open Mic is available to watch at Dazed [http://www.dazeddigital.com/artsandculture/article/22525/1/watch-our-full-length-documentary-open-mic here].{{cite web|url = http://www.channel4.com/programmes/music-nation | accessdate = 11 November 2014 | publisher = Channel 4 | title = Music Nation}}
• Jam and Cheese, 2015. 7 m short. Directed by Ewen Spencer. Commissioned by Dazed.Jam and Cheese is available to watch at Dazed [http://www.dazeddigital.com/artsandculture/article/24350/1/london-s-underground-rollerskaters here].
• Street, Sound and Style, 2015. Four episodes, each 23 m short. Directed by Ewen Spencer, produced by Oz Thakkar. Commissioned by i-D.Street, Sound and Style is available to watch at i-D [https://i-d.vice.com/en_gb/video/street-sound-and-style-episode-one-grime-and-emo here].
• The Business of Grime, 2016, 20m short. Directed by Ewen Spencer, produced by Oz Thakkar and Youern. Commissioned by [http://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/video/the-business-of-grime-full-series GQ]

• Three's a Crowd, KK Outlet, London, 2011{{cite web |access-date=2022-04-26 |title=Creative Review - Thoroughly Modern Men |url=http://www.creativereview.co.uk/cr-blog/2009/october/wag-lads |date=30 September 2012 |website=Creative Review |via=web.archive.org |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120930123656/http://www.creativereview.co.uk/cr-blog/2009/october/wag-lads |archive-date=30 September 2012 |url-status=dead}}
• Teenagers, Third Floor Gallery, Cardiff, 2012{{cite web|url=http://www.thirdfloorgallery.com/portfolio-item/teenagers-by-ewen-spencer/ |accessdate=27 July 2015 |publisher=Third Floor Gallery |title="Teenagers" by Ewen Spencer |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160131202336/http://www.thirdfloorgallery.com/portfolio-item/teenagers-by-ewen-spencer/ |archivedate=31 January 2016 }}
• England's Dreaming, White Cloth Gallery, Leeds, 2012
• Brandy & Coke, Create Studios, Brighton, 2013{{cite web | url = http://welovecreate.com/event/ewen-spencer-brandy-coke | accessdate = 27 July 2015 | publisher = Create Studios | title = Ewen Spencer – Brandy & Coke | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140403000900/http://welovecreate.com/event/ewen-spencer-brandy-coke | archive-date = 3 April 2014 | url-status = dead }}
• UKG and screenings of Open Mic and Brandy & Coke, Wieden+Kennedy, Amsterdam, 2014{{cite web|url = http://www.wkams.com/#!/blog/ewenspencer | date = 5 November 2014 | accessdate = 13 November 2014 | publisher = Wieden+Kennedy | title = Ewen Spencer on the UKG scene}}
• Kick Over the Statues, co-commissioned by Photoworks and Fabrica for Brighton Photo Biennial, Fabrica Gallery, Brighton, 2016; Hassell, London, 2017{{citation needed|date=April 2022}}

• Facing Youth, Museum de Imagem (as part of Encontras de Imagem festival), Braga, Portugal, 2012
• We Want More: Image-Making and Music in the 21st Century, The Photographers' Gallery, London, 2015. With Roger Ballen, Pep Bonet, Deirdre O'Callaghan, Daniel Cohen, Jason Evans, Ryan Enn Hughes, Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin, Gareth McConnell, Ryan McGinley, James Mollison, Lorena Turner and Dan Wilton{{cite web | url = http://thephotographersgallery.org.uk/we-want-more-5 | accessdate = 24 July 2015 | publisher = The Photographers' Gallery | title = We Want More: Image-Making and Music in the 21st Century | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150725012804/http://thephotographersgallery.org.uk/we-want-more-5 | archive-date = 25 July 2015 | url-status = dead }}
• We Also Dance, Museum of Contemporary Art in Kraków, Krakow Photmonth, Krakow, Poland, June 2017, with Phil Collins, Elaine Constantine, Denis Darzacq, Stéphane Degoutin & Gwenola Wagon, Sirkka-Liisa Konttinen, Zarina Muhammad, Morten Nilsson, Spencer, Vojtěch Veškrna, and Gillian Wearing. Curated by Gordon MacDonald{{cite web|accessdate=2021-04-19|title=Festival: Krakow Photomonth|url=https://www.1854.photography/2017/05/festival-krakow-photomonth/|website=British Journal of Photography}}

{{reflist}}

• {{Official website|www.ewenspencer.com}}
• [https://archive.today/20130615230530/http://i-donline.com/2010/10/ewen-spencer-three%E2%80%99s-a-crowd/ Three's a Crowd – interview at i-D]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20101114133342/http://www.bjp-online.com/british-journal-of-photography/feature/1652198/from-stills-motion-ewen-spencer From Stills to Motion at the British Journal of Photography] (video)
• [http://www.itsnicethat.com/articles/2006-ewen-spencer-wag-lad Interview at It's Nice That]

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Category:1971 births

Category:Photographers from Sussex

Category:Living people

Category:Alumni of the University of Brighton

Category:Artists from Newcastle upon Tyne

Category:People from Brighton

Category:Social documentary photographers

Category:British documentary photographers