“There is a Jekyll and Hyde nature to Rolf Harris and this dark side of Rolf Harris was obviously not apparent to all of the other people he met during the course of his work, and it was not apparent to those who may want to testify to his good character.” Sasha Wass QC, during the 2014 trail for indecent assault which led to his imprisonment. When I photographed him for the New Musical Express in the late 80’s all he wanted to give me was his standard cheeky chappy persona. After I asked him to take off his glasses I caught something of his dark side, just for a moment. I could feel there was something not at all nice about him, which is why this was the image I sent for publication.
Film director and screenwriter Ronan O’Leary dropped in for a portrait. He asked me if he’d look better if he wet his hair a bit. I said well, you might, and he just kept going.
This feels like one of the first real portraits I ever made. I’d run away from home aged 17, and was living in a squat in Earls Court. John was Irish, had mental health issues and had lived in the basement for years. I often wonder what became of him.
Two friends, a couple, dropped in and asked me to take their picture. I turned away to load the camera and when I turned back they were naked. I hadn’t realised that was what we were doing.
Lisa was my muse for many years. Here she models Jean-Paul Gaultier jewellery for the shop Kamouflage. The photographic technique is obviously a homage to / inspired by / stolen from Man Ray’s rayographs.