2023 - Posca acrylic marker on former police issue polycarbonate riot shield and former police issue HIATTS handcuffs.

At the beginning of 2010, I went a bit mental for a bit. In mid-March I was taken to Fulbourn Psychiatric Hospital, under Section 2 of the Mental Health Act 1983. When I arrived, it was night time. I was given a sleep sedative and fell asleep immediately.

When I woke up, I made it quite clear that I was going to be less than ideal company. After making lots of noise, tagging the walls and going in both feet with tea, biscuits and fags, I’d had quite enough of Fulbourn by about 10am. I knew that the hospital was on the same bus route as my parents’ road, and that it’d be a short journey to get back home. I decided to test the waters. I climbed on the smoking shelter, jumped the fence and started running.

Within seconds alarms started wailing, and staff came running from all the surrounding buildings. After not really, very a long time, I stopped running. I sat down on a bench and suddenly had many, many hands on me. I was stood up and walked back to the ward.

Not long after arriving back on the ward I went to use the toilet. I went in, locked the door, finished and washed my hands. I opened the door. Standing at the door, with his 2ft by 2ft riot shield blocking the door, was a police officer who was built like The Undertaker. I just started laughing.

From my limited experience of police, it’s my understanding that when they bring out the riot shields, it’s often going to be a difficult day for everyone involved. Neither of us said anything. At the time I was about eight and a half stone, and not built like The Undertaker. We both understood one another. Out of fear of getting choke-slammed through the bathroom sink, I turned around, got down on my knees and put my hands behind my head. He politely, yet firmly, placed my hands behind my back, and attached a pair of cold, rigid handcuffs.

As we left the bathroom I saw seven more rather large police officers stacked up along the corridor. When they saw me, I couldn’t help but feel a distinct wave of ‘is that it?’ coming from them. They parted, disappointedly. I was briskly swept into a small room.

A doctorly type administration person was already sitting in the small room. As police man and I sat down together, they proceeded to explain some of the complex legal things. They were boring. Also, I was distracted by the handcuff situation, and the Undertaker’s hand on my shoulder. I heard the words ‘secure unit in Peterborough’, and my attention was immediately locked back in to what they were saying.

From Fulbourn, I was first taken to Parkside Police Station in the back of a police van, hands still cuffed behind my back. I sat in a cell and waited for a couple of hours, hands still cuffed behind my back. Once a bed opened at Peterborough, I was returned to the back of the police van, hands still cuffed behind my back. I was taken to The Cavell Centre, and into their ‘Poplar Intensive Care Unit’, hands still cuffed behind my back. I was greeted briefly by one of the nurses, and walked up the long central corridor to a small, blank room.

As they took the handcuffs off, I started to miss Fulbourn.

Collage using cardboard, pulpboard, string, PVA glue and Posca paint markers

A series of painted broken skateboards, drawn on with Posca markers. Broken boards always look a bit sad, but I thought I could cheer them up a bit.

Posca paint markers and spray-paint on wooden baseball bat

Collage using Posca paint markers, acrylic paint and spray-paint on pulp-board

Some of the wisest words my mum ever taught me, and one's I try to live by every day. My grandpa used to say it to her every day. She texts it to me every time I'm a bit down. This one's a special one for her [number not found]th birthday

I love using pavement chalk to make what I call ‘twisties’. Chalk’s dead cheap so I can do them absolutely massive and it’s great fun. It washes off naturally in the rain so I’m pretty sure it’s allowed.

They’ve got a meaning to me, but people can bring whatever meaning they like to them. I think they’re fun to look at anyway.

Photography from my old friend Bill Lawton. Go see him at https://www.billlawtonphotos.co.uk/streetphotography

Portrait of Chloe - Posca paint markers on Bristol board and black paper collage

I was lucky enough to collaborate with The Cambridge Brewing Co. at The Brewhouse to do some painting on the windows of their microbrewery. Chunky bit of work this one!

This is a series based on artists signed to the High Focus hip hop label. I hand drew the portraits then scanned and edited them digitally, The backgrounds were made using cardboard, greyboard and spray paint. I then printed the portraits to size, blu--tacced them onto the backgrounds and photographed them.

This is a project based on the KGB and the Russian secret police agencies that proceeded it.

The men pictured are the chairmen of said agencies, and between them are responsible for the death of millions. I chose to leave out the pupils and irises in their eyes to represent their lack of humanity.

I made the backgrounds using cardboard, greyboard, paper and masking tape. The portraits were hand drawn. scanned, edited then printed to size and everything put together with blu-tac.