Photographer Nick Waplington hit a creative high when he realised drugs were a waste of time
- Text by HUCK HQ
- Photography by Ed Andrews, produced by Michael Fordham
“I’ve never defined myself as a photographer. I make art,” explains Nick Waplington, who became the first artist to feature photographic work at Tate Britain’s main space.
Waplington’s career has been full of giant leaps forward: the success of his fanzine Playing with Fire saw him interviewing Nick Cave in a Victoria pub aged just 13; and massive sidesteps: he swapped Israeli settler communities in the West Bank for the world of high fashion to shoot Alexander’s McQueen’s final 2009 show, Horn of Plenty, which became Working Process at Tate Britain.
But Waplington has also taken steps in the wrong direction: documenting rave culture for his book, Safety in Numbers he embraced the drugs that powered the scene through the late ‘80s into the early ‘90s. “I wish I hadn’t done that,” Waplington reflects. “It was a waste of my time really. But I was lucky enough to realise that and stop and give it up before it got to me. I realised I was much happier being able to have a pint of lager and watch the football.”
In this short film, Huck caught up with Waplington at his studio in Hackney Wick to discover the lessons from his creative journey. Read the full story in Huck’s Fiftieth Special Issue.
You might like
In photos: Bin jousting, happiness and wholesome humour at Bloodstock 2025
Derbyshire doom — At first glance, the UK’s heaviest metal festival may not seem like a particularly warm affair. But metalheads are some of the nicest music fans in the country, and Chris Bethell was there to capture the fun and funnies of the weekend.
Written by: Isaac Muk
“Humanity’s big threat is our disconnect from nature”: Craig Richards and Chris Levine in conversation
Lighting up — With Houghton Festival collaborating with artist Chris Levine in its most recent edition, we sat down with the light artist and the festival’s creative director Craig Richards to chat about their new installations, and the role of art and music in tumultuous times.
Written by: Isaac Muk
Three heart wrenching poems from Gaza
Writings that narrate — With Gaza’s population facing starvation, we are handing over our website to Yahya Alhamarna, a displaced poet and student in Gaza, who shares some of his recent poetry, and explains why writing is so important to him.
Written by: Yahya Alhamarna
Throwback portraits of the UK’s first punks
Punks 1978-1980 — While working as a photographer in the army, Wayne “Spike” Large would moonlight as a punk on the weekends. His new photobook revisits the characters that he captured from the genre’s heyday.
Written by: Miss Rosen
Will internet age verification actually work?
VPN Summer — With the Online Safety Act coming into force over the weekend, the UK woke up to find pornography, but also any content deemed “harmful” hidden behind an ID wall. But young people are far too tech savvy to be deterred, explains newsletter columnist Emma Garland, who also warns of the dangers of mass data harvesting.
Written by: Emma Garland
Stacy Peralta
A Questioning Mind — Dogtown legend Stacy Peralta captured the history of skateboarding and big-wave surfing and educated the masses. Now his eye is focused on America’s most notorious gangs.
Written by: Jay Riggio
