Writer / Photographer
Not so long ago, this neighbourhood was a no-go zone. Today, Comuna 13 (in the San Javier district of Medellín) is a hillside barrio where creative expression rules the day. Street artists, rappers, and breakdancers do their thing, and pop-up bars give the place a youthful vibe. The music is loud and Colombian. Bodies move… Continue reading Beautiful Neighbourhood
In February 2020, life in Madrid was ticking along as normal. But unbeknown to the locals something sinister was in the air. In March COVID-19 sent the city into lockdown and daily life changed dramatically.
Inspired by the poem ‘trouble with Spain’ by Charles Bukowski. This series of layered images uses Madrid’s historic businesses as a metaphor to question the dualistic notion of conformity and authenticity.
On the streets of Hong Kong the locals are restless. The 50 year clock is ticking and the writing is on the wall. But who’s holding that metaphorical pen?
Not everyone in Macau works in a casino. Behind the glitz and pretence is a more down to earth way of life. This photo essay was made shortly after the PRC’s 70th anniversary and looks at those earning a more modest living.
In my late 30s I left my hometown of Brighton, UK and spent 5 years in Melbourne, Australia. In this photo essay I explore how the photographs I take reflect my social conditioning. On my travels, I’m drawn to the differences, but when I’m living in a new city, it’s the familiar that makes me… Continue reading Make Yourself At Home
Photos taken between 2014 and 2018 in Australia.
It’s been said, we have two lives – the life we live, and the unlived life of our aspirations. If our time here is the most valuable thing we own. We should ask ourselves, which one are we living?
Expressing your opinion in 21st century is not as straight forward as it used to be. Questioning the socio-political consensus comes at a price and the perceived cost of holding opposing views is too high for some. Self-censorship is on the rise.
For Bukowski, life was not all champagne and skittles. There were school bullies, dead end jobs, nights sleeping rough, back alley fights, jail-time, whores, hangovers and hardships. But through it all was a crazy kind of contentment. What mattered most to Hank was how well you walk through the fire.
From the preacher, peddling fear in the shadows to the subtle art of peer approval. Some people impose their opinions and are reassured by having like-minded souls in the same boat. While others, find group membership limiting and prefer to take the risk of thinking for themselves; they prioritise the idea above the person saying… Continue reading Mind Games
When a British citizen is snatched from the streets in the morning, and sentenced and incarcerated in the afternoon. The terms political prisoner and enemy of the state don’t seem out of place. Especially when the charges are civil and not criminal. The groundswell of public support and blanket media castigation make me smell a rat.
The world’s problems are systemic. The systems are complex. Those in charge don’t understand them. So they lie. We know it. They know it. And they know we know it.
It was Nietzsche who said, "without music, life would be a mistake". I go along with that.
In 2013 I spent 6 months backpacking in SE Asia and India, before relocating to Melbourne. These photographs were taken during that trip.
Ben Rook 