Kent Mathews - interview

First published on 8 Jun 2010. Updated on 9 Sep 2010.

So you’ve photographed the Bacardi Express for 2 years - what has been one of the highlights on tour? On stage it was undoubtedly this year when Art vs. Science got the whole tour up on stage and did Boom! Shake the Room as a jam session and break-dance battle with the other artists broke out on stage. The energy was out of control; it was a genuine moment of how the fun from the train flooded onto the stage.
On the train the highlight has to be the jamming carriage - it's always going off.

How would you describe your style? Loose but beautiful. I try to keep a strong focus on light and composition in the images while still capturing the energy of the moment. I work a lot of the time with little tricks using lights and mirrors, bits of glass and Vaseline to try and create visually interesting pictures, but I also try not to impose too much on the action and aim to capture real moments. With the Bacardi Express I saw my job as documenting not only the backstage fun but also the nuts and bolts of putting a tour together as that’s what I find interesting. I set up a backstage studio and photographed the artists as they came off the stage and also some the crew, the PR, the managers, the sound guys the camera guys - everyone has their part to play in making the show happen. I wanted to tell that side of the story you don’t normally see.

If you could photograph anyone in the world, dead or alive, who would it be and why? Jesus, as the Turin shroud just doesn’t do him justice and if he could get his dad to help out with the lighting, we could be onto a winner.

You’ve photographed some major stars like Dannii Minogue, Rose Byrne and All Saints. Do you have a favourite? Danni was fantastic - really lovely, down to earth and friendly. We were shooting in a swanky hotel in St Tropez, a glamorous sunny location is always great. Then the gumball rally came to check in at the end of the day, which also added a bit of extra fun, Ferraris and champagne everywhere!
The other person I always enjoy shooting is Tara Palmer Tomkinson. I have shot her three times for different magazines and I’m sure she never remembers who I am from one shoot to the next, but she is always a great flirt and has a real carefree playful energy which is great for making pictures.

You’ve got an extensive portfolio working with musicians and bands. Are they difficult to photograph? Sometimes the force is with you and you can do no wrong. Other times it can be like pulling teeth, but generally musicians are great to work with and things run smoothly.

It must be a big compliment to have had successful exhibitions of your work over the years – what can we expect from this one? Its fantastic - I love showing my work up on walls. Over the past 4 years or so I have been putting a lot of energy into gallery-based projects. As a photographer its all about getting your work seen - it's great to have your work in magazines and online spaces but there really is something special about showing original prints. I love to go to photography exhibitions and get up close with prints. It’s a different experience than seeing work in a magazine.
This show is really a rockumentary - expect a behind the scenes look at all the amazing bands that have made the Bacardi Express, with portraits of the bands, moments from back stage and a look at the action from the jam carriage.

Would you rather be a big fish in a small pond or a small fish in a big pond? I assume you mean New York and London as opposed to Sydney? I think in photographic terms it's becoming like one huge pond. Information now travels so quickly, air travel is relatively affordable and culture is becoming globalised. I travelled to Europe to shoot a few times last year, and I showed work in Sydney, New York, Paris and London. Australian clients fly in photographers to shoot here and local photographers fly out to shoot elsewhere. I would prefer to be a big fish in a big enough pond to swim about freely with interesting eddies to explore and other fish to meet.

Who do you find inspiring? I originally decided I wanted to be a photographer after seeing the Magnum exhibition IN OUR TIME at the Hayward Gallery in 1990 and still every time I pick up the exhibition catalogue, I find something new and inspiring. I have so many favourite photographers but to single out a few: Richard Avedon, for his portraits - I especially love his American West series; Gregory Crewdson for his large-scale gallery work - amazing detail and light; Camilla Akran's for her fashion editorial - she always turns out amazing polished work.

What book are you currently reading?Affluenza by Oliver James.

Fave album?Now That’s What I Call Music Vol. 39.

Where is your favourite place in the world? South America is fantastic but really it’s the people and culture that make a place special. I also love Paris for a culture fix.

What do you like most about your job? It doesn’t feel like a job and you're always learning.

What do you like least about your job? The getting of the work and the bits that don’t involve creating images.

Best tip on life? I recently went to photograph a close family friend, Arnold Yarrow, who is about to turn 90. He is an extremely intelligent man who was a scriptwriter, author and actor. He is someone whose opinion I have valued all my life, and I asked him this very same question. Out of our conversation I pulled two quotes that I think have wisdom:

'The older I get the more I realise the less I know for sure.'

'It is more important to try than it is to succeed.'

In your opinion, what makes a tour great? The whole enchilada - you need a great band with good energy, great sound, a good venue, good drinks… every bit plays its part in making real magic.

How has the Bacardi Express differed from any other job you’ve been booked for? It’s a totally unique experience to go on tour on a heritage train. Its great to have five different bands all coming together and partying and jamming. Musically they all feed off each other and the energy built up is fantastic. I think they also love the opportunity to jam together which is really an amazing experience. Everyone seems to have a mojito or caipirinha in their hand at all times of the day, and basically it’s always going off.

If you could go to any concert in the history of the world, whose concert would you go see? Woodstock, for Jimi Hendrix, Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan and Jefferson Airplane, but also to be part of that experience - “New York State freeway is closed, man".

How did you feel about spending 48 hours with other bands, fans and media on a train? Loved it - I would do it for weeks. We were so well looked after on the train, with 3 bars serving amazing cocktails and a great chef in the galley keeping us fed with amazing food. It’s all first class on the Bacardi Express!