To walk into somewhere in the world with an extraordinary beauty that is the result of accidentally combined layers of history and age, or an owner with a style outside the imagination, and recognising, respecting and representing the reality of all the ways the world can look and be.
Presenting character through environment and creating environments motivated by, as well as creating dramatic narratives.
Finding an emotional attachment to a still object, piece of architecture or set, creating a narrative that connects with a personal thought or memory.

Exploring simplicity and understandable proportion that create elegance and charm in mundane objects, and initiate an emotional bonds making contact with the observer.

inspired by William Cameron Menzies, Ken Adam, Malcolm C Bert, Hal Pereira, Robert F Boyle, Henry Bumstead,

Oscar Niermeyer, Morris Lapidus, Erno Goldfinger, Gio Ponti, Jean Prouve, Henry Noyce, 

William Eggleston, Todd Hido, Greg Girard, Stephen Shore, Gregory Crewdson, Larry Sultan, Irwin Olaf, Norman Parkinson,

Alexi Brodovitch, Paul Rand, Lililan Bassman, Saul Bass, Flaminio Bertone, Dante Giacosa, Grace Coddington, Edith Head,

Armistead Maupin. Rope, North by Northwest, Rear Window, Auntie Mame, In the Mood for Love, Harold and Maude, One from the Heart.

experience Researching period recreation and sourcing and creating authentic objects, props and graphic material.

Designing and realising built settings on multiple stages in the UK and on locations including Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary, Los Angeles, NYC, Miami, Texas, Oregon, Sydney, Cape Town, Buenos Aires, Budapest, Prague, Poland, Barcelona, Madrid, Malaga, Paris, Marseille, Milan, Rome, Sicily, Turkey, Malta, Iceland, Finland, Sweden, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Mumbai, Rahjistan, Goa, Indonesia, Jordan, London, Scotland, Wales, Ireland, Morroco, Majorca, Belgium, and Berlin.

Working alongside post production companies on film projects, post production reference, and concept design for both live action builds and CG enhancement

including scanning and 3D Virtual environments. 
Using Film in camera optical effects matte paintings, glass paintings, miniatures and models. creating exterior landscapes in a studio, working with animatronics and prosthetics, atmospherics and pyrotechnics.     

Working with AV and lighting companies using projection, LED screens, projection mapping.      
Working with live action special effects stunts and stunt coordinators on wire work, aerial work, car build and stunts.

 

 

Out of 250 phone calls to the film companies in the London Yellow Pages the only person to answer with a conversation was Joanne Sellar of Promopalace and Palace pictures, she listened and explained that what I was incoherently trying to describe was the role of Art Director, and gave me the mobile and home numbers of their favourites, with the advice “keep ringing, it may sound strange but one day they will suddenly need people.’ I can't thank you enough Joanne.

Thanks to the Art Directors whose numbers she gave me, Cath Pater-Lanckuki. Mick Hurd. Max Gottleib. and Joseph Bennett, who all taught me the many sides of art direction, from prop buying to scenic painting, and who’s wisdom, immediate problem solving, and sheer strength of vision are still inspiring to me, thank you all for having me back for the second day.

All of the projects I have designed and the images and films on my site are the result of a collaboration with a team of creative people, my thanks and respect to all these people:

The Gallerists: Helly Nahmad, Stephane Custot and Roxana Afshar, and Victoria Sidell from Frieze London.

The Directors that I have been lucky enough to work with for their imagination, energy, and immense collaboration: Karin Alder. Coky Gedroyc. Earl Sebastian. Doug Nichol. Vaughan Arnell, Anthea Benton. Johan Camitz. Michel Gondry. Rupert Sanders. Ivan Zacharius. Walter Stern. Tom Carty. Peter Thwaites. Frank Budgen. Chris Palmer. Jeff Stark. Mark Denton. Eden Diebel. Paul Gay. Danny Kleinman. Shekar Kapur. Daniel Barber. Dawn Shadforth. Joe Roman. Johan Renck. Ulf Johansen. Antoine Bardou Jeunet. Dougal Wilson. Nicholas Caicoya. Pleix. N-eo. Matthijs van Heijgningen. Elaine Constantine. Daniel Wolfe. Tom Kuntz. Tom Hooper, Guy Ritchie.

Set decorators, stylists, and prop buyers, all enormously talented and inspirational :

The greatly missed Louise Bedford, who died having helped me so much and to whom I am forever in debt. Louise Long. Rebecca Gillies. Tim Sykes. Kam Lam Man. Clare Johnston. Daisy Bodley. Karen Grainger. Eliza Solesbury. Toni Gallagher. Rebecca du Pont de Bie. Sophie Phillips. Jackie Yau. Sara Wan. Alice Felton. Tim Belcher. Jess Burns. Lucy Yates. Jemima Hawkins. Marko Washe

Visual artists: Eva Kuntz. Peter Mckinstry. Painting Practice. Joanna Pratt. Jessica Sinclair. Claire Fleming. Grant Bailey. Marc Homes. Sandra Phillips. James Morall. Choi Ho Man. Gregory Staples. Neil Ross.

Art directors and Assistants around the world, members of the extended art department family that I have met sometimes briefly, and sometimes repeatedly...   Stefano Grossi, Antonia Pellegrini, Marina Guiseppini, Olivia Pellegrino. Stork Csaba, Tunde Csaki, Ivan Poharnok. Martin Krezlick, Jiri Sternwald, Jiri Matura, Michael Soun, Marek Fancik, Pan Stanislav Pferovsky. Pepjin van Looy. Chris Bass, Ninon de Clerk, Di Sole, Neil Swanlepoel, Mark Guthrie, Max Poolman. Diana Kunce, Jenny Burton-Ackdag, Mark Landres, Amy Holland, Brad Jones, Jerry Blohm, Graylin Franklin. Rebecca Cohen, Billy Goodes, Katie Sharrock, Tommy Churchill Brown. Marlene Lievendahl. Monica Chirinos. Patrick Airaghi, Michel Rollant, Pierre de Boisranger, Phillipe Couzon. Isaac pierre Racine, Nacho Guerrero, Tristan Mur. Monica Monadero. Karin Betzler. Harry Johansson. Marc Bausback. Bill Le Blanc, Claudia Ventura. Paul Frost. Ivica Tripc, Ales Kranjec, Iva Rodic. Daymon Wu. Suzanne Beirne, Jemima Hawkins. Vova Radlinskiy. Radek Hannak.

Directors of Photography: Dan Landin, Stuart Graham, Darius Khondji, Pascale Rabaud, Remi Adisfarisan, Gosta Reiland. Jess Hall, Barry Ackroyd, Jan Velicky, Joost van Gelder, Dennis Crossan, Clive Tickner. Barry Ackroyd, Joseph Yacoe, Jean-Yves Escoffier, Pascale Marti, Patrick Duroux, Erwan Elies, Robbie Ryan, Steve Chivers, Steve Blackman, Nic Nowlan, Alex Barber, Mick Coulter, Simon Chaudois, Tat Radcliffe, Tim Maurice Jones, John Mathieson, Franz Lustig, Simon Tindall.

Costume Designers:
Sandy Powell. Joanna Johnston. Annie Symons. Stevie Stewart. Camilla Nickerson. Kim Bowen. Venetia Scott. Moritz. Nadia Lubjani. Michelle May, Hannah Edwards, Verity Hawkes, Rebecca Hale, Mr Gammon.

Producers:
Sandy Watson, Jo Godman, Rosie Much, Jane Abbey, Adam Sayward, Richard Hollings, Cathy Green, Andrew Studholme, Jason Kemp, Amanda Tassie. Cathy Hood, Emma Blackburn, Chris Mcbride, Emma Clare, Emily Crofton Atkins, Emily Braithwaite, Paul Mcpadden, Barney Jeffaries, Margo Mars, Lucy Sherwood, Jody Allison, Emma Blackburn, Spencer Dodd, Anna Hashmi. David Stewart. Russell Curtis, Richard Ulfengren, Grace Bodie, Tim Katz, Matthew Brown, Lindsay Turnham, Phillipa Smith, Alice Rowbottom, Betsy Oliver, Suzanne Hargrove, Genvieve Triquet, Jan Fincke, Maria Tamander, Toni Moreno, Nick Landon, Fredico Leviziani, Matteo Lando, Laurie Boccacio, Fraser Lawson, Dickie Jeffaries, Barbara Manfredi, Helen Arnold, Helena Reis, Juliet Naylor, Benoit Roques, Sylvain Mella, Astrid Edwards, Suza Horvat, Donald Taylor, Dougal Meese, Holly Restiaux, Lara Baldwin, Laine - Kay Lambert, Dany Ardouin.

Post production teams and editors :
Hittesh Patel. Barnsley/Andre Wood. Rick Russell. Rob Walker. Duncan Malcolm.The Mill, Moving Picture Company. Absolute. Smoke and Mirrors. Glassworks. Computer filmco. DigitalDomain. Alvin Cruz, Method studios.

Construction companies / scenic artists :
Steve Benham Setco. Robin Thistlethwaite. Rob Anderson O&A construction. Lance Smith. Freeform. Annie la Paz. Steve Mitchell. Bruce Rostron and Michael May. Howard Weaver. Marek Fancik. Ross Potter Invisible Blue. Mark Hubbard Scena. Luca Crestini.

Modelmakers and Special Effects teams:
Artem. Anarchy. Asylum. Pennicot Payne. The Creature Shop. Animated Extras. Hothouse. Martin Pec.
Carter White. Bickers Action. Branham Enterprises LA. Cinefex. Dhfx. Snowbusiness. Sno-fx-LA.
Guy Mannering- Sydney. Flash fx - Prague. Effectiv Berlin. MXFX cape town.