'Ecstatic City'
A Portrait of Manchester 1990-1993 by Janek Schaefer
30 year old archive of 3000 negatives that survived my Hulme flat being torched by kids xmas day 1992. Photographed with a Nikon FE2 inherited from my father. The collection presents a 3 year window, onto, and inside the city, during an iconic era, from my perspective.
Age 20 in 1990 I self-taught how to shoot film, develop, and print in a home-made darkroom in Hulme, the failed urban housing at the end of it's life. A hotbed of creative free thinking people by the time i arrived by choice, surrounded by anguish, and machine gun fire, which was heard one xmas day.. a gift? My rent to the council was £6/week, which made a life of creative pursuit possible for many. The iconic track Voodoo Ray emerged from there and much much more etc etc etc . . .
In 1991 i worked as the roving photographer for 'PULP', the Manchester Polytechnic student magazine, edited by John Burgess who went on to found Jockey Slut and Bugged Out. I did front cover photo shots of visiting bands and celebrities, and gigs/DJ's at The Haçienda etc. An era when people did not have a cameraphone in their pocket.
Bobby Gillespie & Primal Scream, K-Klass at The Haçienda & Sasha in the DJ booth, Mike Pickering at The Rovers Return, The Buzzcocks, Danni Davoli, John Thomson with a gun to his head in his bedsit, Ken Dodd, Haçienda dancers, Flesh Queens & Paul Cons, Mock Turltles, Cicero, The Grid, JTQ, Stephen Fry, Gilles Petterson, Johnno, Sister Sledge, Sandra Bernhard, Frank Sidebottom, Most Excellent, Justin Robertson, Elton, Wiggy Clive, Mark Little from Neighbours, Hitman & Her with Pete Waterman & Michaela Stachan who found me wearing silver sequin trousers rather confusing for a photographer and interviwed me on the show Autumn '92.... Afflecks Palace, Norman Jay, Miles Holloway, K-Creative, James playing Picadilly Gardens from the radio station balcony, The Brand New Heavies, Jon Savage at his book launch for 'The Haçienda must be Built', Eastern Bloc Records, more folks to be discovered etc
In our flat we knocked through the wall to the adjoining boarded up flat, and hotwired it in to our own fuseboard. We held 'open house' parties and put flyer invites around the city. I am very grateful to have had such a positive experience living in Hulme compared to the former residents. I thrived there and survived, as did the archive thankfully.
In 1992 I got the opportunity of documenting the Boddingtons Manchester Festival, and mounted the exhibition at The Canal Bar by suspending the framed prints above the punters heads. The comments book garnered offers of sex from one man fan! I used my camera as a way to explore the wider city, and a the odd dark 'self -portrait of the photographer' of course etc. I also produced for PULP, a series of 6 photostrip magazine stories called 'Friendly the Fresher', [performed by Henry Davis] themed on a satirical indoctrination into student life.
On xmas day 1992 our classic deck access, concrete flat on Bark Walk*, was set on fire by kids while we were away. Astonishingly only my negatives survived the blaze and fire engine water pumps as i had hidden them well under the floors with the cockroaches.
Finally I then documented the demolition destruction of Hulme in all it's mournful radiance 1993. I still dream about my time there and connects with my passion for Ballard & Joy Division & Haçienda & dancing & improvising, and experiencing early in adult life how limitiation breeds creativity. It holds a special place in my heart. I was fortunate, and am grateful. I loved it.
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*By chance other residents of Bark Walk included Matt Wand, from Stock Hausen and Walkman, who ended up releasing my first ever red 7"sound art project called 'Recorded Delivery' released on his label Hot Air. I came up with that idea for a tape recording of a parcel in the post while being tutored by Ben Kelly at the RCA, and conceived it for the exhibition 'Self Storage' with Brian Eno and Laurie Anderson / produced by Artangel.
Our flat at 87 Bark Walk, Hulme, photographed at exactly the moment the 'Neighbours' TV show title sequence was broadcast
First PRIZE
Royal Institute of British Architects Photographic Competition
Viewpoint Gallery, Salford
Dec 1991 / handprinted A4 photograph
Displayed here at the Bluecoat gallery retrospective 'Janek Schaefer - Sound Art', Liverpool, 2009.
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Please email : janek@janekschaefer.com
EXHIBITION ENQUIRIES WELCOME
or FOR DIGITAL/PRINT/PRESS
>>> Common uses include: Newspapers and magazines (except for covers), editorial broadcasts, documentaries, non-commercial websites, blogs and social media posts illustrating matters of public interest >>> Can’t be used for: Book or magazine covers, commercial, promotional, advertorial, endorsement, advertising, or merchandising purposes in any media (e.g print, commercial broadcast, film, digital) Standard editorial rights: Anyone in your organisation can use it 3 times within one year, worldwide. Subject to the Content Licence Agreement. Other licences available on request <<<
[Small 21cm max / 72 dpi £ P.O.A] : [Medium 10cm max / 300 dpi £ P.O.A] : [Large 50cm max / 300 dpi £P.O.A.] |
Available to Print up to 750mm max dimension @ 300dpi
Please email me if you have an enquiry about images not yet previewed
There are multiple images of the artists mentioned in the backstory above
I am currently digitally transering the negatives in my studio
I am in discussions regarding a viariety of opportunities for the portfolio
full collection preview available on request
Can you help?
I am seeking to have single edition prints signed by the artists i photographed,
to raise money from their auction for a hearing help charity.
Do you know anyone in the description list you could put me in touch with please?
- - -PORTFOLIO very v small % of the whole library PREVIEW - - -
'Ecstasy Turns To Nightmare'
Oxford Rd 1992
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'Bark Walk'
Hulme 1992
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'Wiggy Clive'
Discoteque Royale 1992
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'Flesh Princess'
Haçienda 1991
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'Eastern Bloc'
Manchester 1992
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'Rolls Railing '
Hulme 1993
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'Flesh Flash'
Haçienda 1991
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'Meat Beat'
Haçienda 1991
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'The Rover Returns'
The Rovers Return 1992
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'Danni Davoli'
Haçienda 1992
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'Crescent Crucible'
Hulme 1993
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'Nikon FE2'
Hulme - Feb 1992
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i anticipate between 1-200 images by the end of process
feedback gratefuly received as the project evolves every day at present
All images copyright Janek Schaefer 1990-1993