Sydney-born photographer Kristian Taylor-Wood took this legendary image almost by chance, proving the adage about always carrying a pen if you’re a writer and, by extension, a camera if you make a living taking pictures. You never know when two modern day legends are going to drift into your line of sight.VICE: What can you tell us about this photo - when it was taken and where?
Kristian Taylor-Wood: This shot was taken sometime in 1997 at my sister Sam Taylor-Wood’s flat in Covent Garden, London. Sam was, and still is, very good friends with Jarvis Cocker. Her husband at the time, Jay Jopling, was Damien Hirst’s agent. The four of them had been at the swanky/wanky Groucho club which was where they usually frequented and had just come back to Sam’s to continue the party. Little did they know I was laying in wait to pounce on them with my shitty old Minolta camera.What makes it a legendary photo in your eyes?
At the time of this photo you would have been really hard pushed to name cooler celebs then Damien Hirst and Jarvis Cocker. It was only something like a year earlier that Jarvis and Pulp had released Different Class with the single “Common People” and Damian Hirst was at that time part of one of the most notable group art exhibitions of all time “Sensations”, where he rolled out his great white shark in formaldehyde.To have legends like Damien and Jarvis walk into the room while I had my camera at hand was a dream come true. I casually snapped this shot while they weren’t looking, hence the dodgy camera angle. I also love the graininess and harsh contrast of this shot, it’s dirty and edgy and really captures the mood of the drunken rocker and artist. The photo takes me back to that time in my life.Bagging Cocker and Hirst in the one picture is a pretty tough shot to follow. What's been the high point of your career to date?
Although I got paid fuck all, working at Dazed and Confused was definitely the high point of my photography career. Even though it was the starting point of my career and I had to kick a lot of shit, I was working at one of the greatest cult magazines of all times at the height of the magazine’s heyday when it was a real cultural magazine, before the fashion department took over. I was subjected to some seriously crazy and fun shit while working there.OK last question, If you could shoot any legend, living or dead, who would it be?
Can I have a living and a dead? Above all else I would loved to have photographed Hunter S. Thompson! The dude is a real hero of mine, I love any one who sticks it to the bastards. Alive I would have to say Bill Murray, just seeing him on screen makes me smile every time. One of my all time favourite movie scenes is the Suntory Time shoot in Lost In Translation. I am constantly bringing that scene up on photo shoots “Do it slowly and with more intensity!”. Also Bill Murray played Hunter S. Thompson in Where The Buffalo Roam, so Shooting Bill would be like a double whammy.
Kristian Taylor-Wood: This shot was taken sometime in 1997 at my sister Sam Taylor-Wood’s flat in Covent Garden, London. Sam was, and still is, very good friends with Jarvis Cocker. Her husband at the time, Jay Jopling, was Damien Hirst’s agent. The four of them had been at the swanky/wanky Groucho club which was where they usually frequented and had just come back to Sam’s to continue the party. Little did they know I was laying in wait to pounce on them with my shitty old Minolta camera.What makes it a legendary photo in your eyes?
At the time of this photo you would have been really hard pushed to name cooler celebs then Damien Hirst and Jarvis Cocker. It was only something like a year earlier that Jarvis and Pulp had released Different Class with the single “Common People” and Damian Hirst was at that time part of one of the most notable group art exhibitions of all time “Sensations”, where he rolled out his great white shark in formaldehyde.To have legends like Damien and Jarvis walk into the room while I had my camera at hand was a dream come true. I casually snapped this shot while they weren’t looking, hence the dodgy camera angle. I also love the graininess and harsh contrast of this shot, it’s dirty and edgy and really captures the mood of the drunken rocker and artist. The photo takes me back to that time in my life.Bagging Cocker and Hirst in the one picture is a pretty tough shot to follow. What's been the high point of your career to date?
Although I got paid fuck all, working at Dazed and Confused was definitely the high point of my photography career. Even though it was the starting point of my career and I had to kick a lot of shit, I was working at one of the greatest cult magazines of all times at the height of the magazine’s heyday when it was a real cultural magazine, before the fashion department took over. I was subjected to some seriously crazy and fun shit while working there.OK last question, If you could shoot any legend, living or dead, who would it be?
Can I have a living and a dead? Above all else I would loved to have photographed Hunter S. Thompson! The dude is a real hero of mine, I love any one who sticks it to the bastards. Alive I would have to say Bill Murray, just seeing him on screen makes me smile every time. One of my all time favourite movie scenes is the Suntory Time shoot in Lost In Translation. I am constantly bringing that scene up on photo shoots “Do it slowly and with more intensity!”. Also Bill Murray played Hunter S. Thompson in Where The Buffalo Roam, so Shooting Bill would be like a double whammy.