Naughty James (or Craig Cowling as his Mum calls him) has his finger on photography’s pulse. His highly stylized editorial work has appeared in i-D Magazine and he has collaborated with VICE in the UK, Belgium and Germany as well as many other publications such as WAD (France), PIG (Italy), NEON (Germany), Bigshot, BPM (both USA). He has also exhibited in galleries from the Bread and Butter fashion trade fair in Berlin to the Mcloud Gallery in Seattle, USA. He followed new rave goons, The Klaxons on their first tour keeping a record, mostly in black-and-white photographs, to capture the raw energy of their gigs and all the usual back stage antics. With large corporate clients such as Coca Cola and Sony already to his name all at the tender age of twenty five he is one of London’s most highly sought after, most up-and-coming stars of the fashion photography scene.

Meanwhile, on the net, he chronicles his personal and professional life with photographs and writing through his online visual diary called the 1095 project at naughtyjames.com. It is at once lustful, frantic and provocative yet incredibly bold. The 1095 project was originally started to document his three years (1095 days) at the London College of Fashion where he did (or at least started) his photography degree. “Obviously it didn’t really work out like that” he tells me, since he dropped out not long into his second year upon being offered a job at VICE magazine, and it became a more personal thing that he has kept going way after its official date was up as a means of “preserving moments forever.” He has now been invited back to LCF but this time as a visiting lecturer.

His work, is more often than not, violently poetic, saturated in deep colours, infused with an explicitness that lays its subject as bare as possible. His indulgences, it seems, are woman, rock and roll, fashion and sex. There is little distinction for him, it appears, between the private and the public. He likes the viewers of his work to “feel like they have just stumbled across a situation they shouldn't have, like catching your parents having sex for example.” As photographer he has crossed the proverbial line, including himself-simultaneously as voyeur and participant-in an on camera life that breaks down the wall between object and subject, ridding of objectivity as quickly as he does his tight underpants. With his rock star lifestyle and a desire to marry high-art style with low-art subjects, Craig Cowling sits at the photographic edge. Take a peek for yourself.

~ Tim Clark, 2007.

Looking to shoot some portfolios for models - Message me for my rates, they are very, very competative.

also looking to do some TFCD work over the next few weeks/months if i'm really interested in you.

Please, get in touch if you are interested in talking about working with me.

CLIENTS
i-D Magazine (UK)
Harpers (JAP)
Vogue Italia (ITA)
Rolling Stone (US)
Vice Magazine (UK, GER, HOL, US)
Pig Magazine (ITA)
Pimp Magazine (UK)
Picnic (MEX)
Bigshot (US)
Machina Magazine (POL)
BPM (US)
H Magazine (SPA)
Finger Magazine (SWI)
Nerve (US)
Front (UK)
NEON (GER)
Rewind Magazine (UK)

CORPORATE
Coca-Cola (POL)
American Apparel (US)
Sony Europe (GER)
Vladivar (UK)

EXHIBITIONS
"solo show" Toast - Doncaster, 2004
Bread & Butter - Berlin, 2005
Bread & Butter - Barcelona, 2005
Mcloud Gallery - Seattle, US, 2006
"So Now Then" - London, UK, 2008

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