ARCHIVE
Welcome to my Print Shop. NM Editions is a bespoke service offering limited edition fine art archival prints, posters and zines. My photographic archive includes documentary & portrait work of musicians and youth culture since 1988. Six years of photography from my time living in Vietnam, street photography with a difference from London and my current work creating ::: KALEID{}ESCAPES :::
My work is now in private and commercial collections in New York, London, Paris, Sydney, Hong Kong, Singapore, Bangkok, Saigon and Tokyo.
Feel free to contact me directly at info@neilmassey.com with any questions.
TESTIMONIAL
"Neil Massey's Photography has his very unique take on Vietnam, the people, the culture and the every day life. I had the great honor to work with him on some projects and it's great to see that he always goes the extra mile for a shot. Usually photos are just a capture of a moment. Neil's pictures are different as they tell a story. They make you curious, you interact and almost having a conversation with them. Vietnam is so rich in traditions and heritage but in the same time open to transform itself into a young, modern and creative nation. I always strive to present and showcase this side of the country and Neil's photography in our company showroom help me do this".
Marian Von Rappard, Vietnam
ART ::: KALEID{}ESCAPES ::: 2020/21
Since late 2020 in the middle of the UK lockdown I started to create these new worlds ::: 'KALEID{}ESCAPES' :::
::: NEON DUST ::: was created during the last snow fall in the UK in February 2021. These kaleidoscopic artworks mirror the symmetrical shapes of a snowflake. They were made from Neon Dust, Black Light and Snow which acted as the canvas.
(:RAVE ON:) ORDER+CHAOS
In November 2020 I was doing some research for a forthcoming book due out in Spring 2021. Whilst digging through my neg. archives I discovered some photos of some fluro paintings I made in the height of my raving days. As a young photography student, I remember hawking the fluro paintings and a small UV light around to record companies. In the hope that they could be used as artwork cover for musicians - much to the record execs bemusement. So nearly 30 years later, with the help of some repetitive looping beats, I channelled my ‘Rave Spirit’ and reworked these original paintings into these kaleidoscopic artworks.
THE UPSIDE DOWN
The first week was pretty challenging, we had little understanding of what lockdown really meant or how long it would last. People were panic buying - the shelves were emptying. We began to realise the sobering gravity of the global pandemic. We slowly adjusted to the new ab-normal. Work had been replaced by our attempts at homeschooling, trips to the local supermarket were quick sombre affairs. In contrast to all this London was eerily quiet; you could hear the birds sing, feel nature breathe. Unusual for the time of year, we had months of beautiful sunlight.
The title for this work comes from the TV show ‘Stranger Things’, in it there is a dark parallel universe called the ‘The Upside Down’. During this lockdown my kids watched all three seasons - three times.
ARCHIVE * 1988/2019
AN ODE TO: THE BRITISH TELEPHONE BOX (2017-2019)
On the streets of London, 'The British Telephone Box' stands battered and beaten; a disused relic from our recent history, still used by a small minority but mainly forgotten. Photographed on the technology that replaced - mobile phones. 'An Ode to: The British Telephone Box' documents the last ones standing. This is my visual poem.
THE VIETNAM COLLECTION (2009-2015)
In 2009 I moved to Vietnam where I lived for the next 6 years. I fell in love with Vietnamese culture and its people - Vietnam, a communist country embracing capitalism and undergoing rapid economic and cultural development. This provided the backdrop to a series of long-term photographic projects ('Bloody Chunks', 'Untitled', 'Song' and 'Monobloc') entitled 'The Vietnam Collection'. This body of work explores Vietnamese life - in all its raw unadulterated beauty.
BLOODY CHUNKS | THE VIETNAMESE UNDERGROUND METAL SCENE
Winner of New York's Photo District News (PDN) Magazine Ultimate Music Moments Award / Cover Story and 4 page feature for BLACK + WHITE Magazine and 2 Solo shows in London + Saigon
MUSICIANS + YOUTH CULTURE (1988-Present)
Limited Edition Art Prints of Musicians / Artists from my photographic archive.
This body of work was taken between 1999-2005. During this time, I was an editorial photographer working for style and music magazines - The Face, Sleazenation and Q, here in London.
Looking back, I guess we were lucky; magazines were paying photographers a day rate and covered our film processing costs to travel the world to shoot artists and youth culture. The digital camera was in development, but we were all still shooting film. The internet was in its early stages so there wasn’t much research happening. As photographers, it was an exciting time to be sent abroad and document a far away youth scene or artist and be expected to come back with the goods.
I’ve always been interested in the importance of documentary photography, and, with the passing of time, how powerful photography becomes in a historical context.
PHARRELL WILLIAMS (2002)
Pharrell Williams on the tour with N.E.R.D. during the 'Sprite Liquid Mix tour performing at the Shoreline Amphitheatre, Mountain View, California, USA, September 8th 2002. I was commissioned by The Face Magazine to photograph Pharrell.
Photographed on 6x7 colour film on my Mamiya 7 rangefinder camera.
Limited Edition Prints on Giclee Hahnemüle Pearl (285 GSM)
BLOG
BERKSHIRE ART SCHOOL 1988-90: CLIVE, GBOA & READING ROCK
BMX, Goths, Gaye Bykers On Acid and Reading Rock Festival 1989
ROLLEI + BLOODY CHUNKS
New Rollei Website I'm really excited to share a collaboration I’ve been working on with Rollei. This weekend Rollei launched their new website where you’ll find my work ‘Bloody...
BERKSHIRE ART SCHOOL 1988-90: NICK & HIS TRAVELLER FRIENDS
We knew Nick from the local alternative music scene. Nick was still young but got himself a caravan and set up with a community of New Age Travellers on the...