Spencer Murphy
Finding redemption at the bars
Directed by Spencer Murphy, The Bars celebrates a community that has grown up around bar parks made from knives recovered from the streets of London by charity Steel Warriors.
Written by: Alex King
Unruly portraits of punks at Blackpool’s Rebellion Festival 2023
Photographer Spencer Murphy explores punk’s enduring role in British culture and why we need its rebellious ethos more than ever right now.
Written by: Alex King
Ghetts has entered a whole new dimension
Almost two decades into his career, the London MC is at the peak of his powers, finally receiving the critical and commercial attention his blistering output has long warranted. It begs the question: what next?
Written by: Niall Flynn
Strange days: eerie photos of locked-down London
The new normal — Spencer Murphy’s ongoing series sees him venturing out to capture scenes that hint at the cultural shifts we are currently witnessing, encapsulating the unfamiliarity of the present.
Written by: Huck
A street hustler’s journey to world-renowned tattoo artist
Physical graffiti — As OBE1, Josh Peacock tagged the streets of Cambridge and dealt weed on the side. Then heroin and homelessness upended his life. But through the healing power of tattoos, he has reinvented himself as a different kind of artist.
Written by: Cyrus Shahrad
Tearing up the tarmac with Britain's urban dirt bikers
Tales from the city — Spencer Murphy spent a year photographing the UK's BikeLife riders, capturing a scene addicted to freedom, rebellion and speed.
Written by: Biju Belinky
London's young Muslim rappers know the power of verse
Holy lyrics — Across Britain, a new generation of outspoken young rappers are interweaving Islam and hip hop to create a lyrical tapestry that’s all their own.
Written by: Cyrus Shahrad
The man who eats roadkill
Waste not, want not — Arthur Boyt likes to forage for his food, shunning the supermarket shelf for what lies beside the road. Could his unusual lust for roadkill be a lesson in subsistence?
Written by: Cyrus Shahrad
Staring into the abyss with photographer Spencer Murphy
In search of isolation — Spencer Murphy’s solo show Ephemera brings together his signature barren landscapes and evocative portrait photography.
Written by: Alex King
Spencer Murphy
Sony World Photography Award Winner 2014 — From award-winning portraits to post-apocalyptic worlds, Spencer Murphy's ability to dance with light often borders on ethereal. But as lifelong friend Cyrus Shahrad explains, there's meaning in the mist.
Written by: Cyrus Shahrad
Female Bodybuilders
Macho, Sexy Girl — Society has long told us what real women should look like, and female bodybuilders break every rule. But this gender-bashing sport could be under threat, as competitors face a new pressure to ‘bring sexy back.’ Will the patriarchy ever stop telling these chicks to do it for the lads? Maybe. Maybe not.
Written by: Cyrus Shahrad
Cheryl Maas
Far From Fake — Holland’s Cheryl Maas may have kick-started her career on artificial turf, but in the glitzy world of pro snowboarding she’s about as real as it gets.
Written by: Gemma Freeman