GARMSVILLE

Spent a few days last week in Amsterdam; to coin a great Tom Waits line,  it was colder than a well-diggers ass/ Colder than a well-diggers ass. We were shooting a story for Code. The forthcoming issue is focused on contemporary art, so I figured it would be a nice idea to pull together different types of artists, dress 'em up and get them to collaborate on one big piece. We'd take portraits of them and then shoot documentary-type pictures to show off the clothes and the artists in action. 

The magazines producer, Nadine, did the hard part; convincing the artists to do it, finding the location. She also got a ton of clothes together to complement the ones I'd selected in London. My job was then to do the styling and whatnot. It was a fun two days with one exception: the disused factory - with huge windows and concrete floors over-looking the river  - had no heating. Like NO HEATING. Apparently, according to Peter, Codes editor, it was warmer in the street outside the building. 

I suspect the adverse conditions might have affected the quality of the collaboration somewhat. Thankfully, I don't think it harmed the quality of Ulrike Biets photography.