We are pleased to announce a new selling exhibition by BAFTA photographer Rich Hardcastle. 'Mr Detective Man' presents an insightful, thought-provoking and playful critique of contemporary culture framed through a stylised and cinematic narrative that draws on the familiar tropes of the crime thriller and the police procedural.
Hardcastle has cast some of the world's most recognisable faces in this striking visual drama, with model-of-the-moment David Gandy providing a powerful and poignant presence as the story's eponymous protagonist. Supported by a high-profile cast including Jacob Anderson (Game of Thrones), Paul Anderson (Peaky Blinders) and Adam Hills (The Last Leg), a darkly comic narrative is played out through a series of familiar yet darkly dissonant scenes that follow Gandy from hospital bed to interrogation room to morgue slab.
'Rich Hardcastle brings excitement back into photography. His ideas are truly inspiring. You never quite know exactly what mad idea he has planned until you get to the shoot. He's a true creative, a true artist.' - David Gandy
Hardcastle's highly-detailed portraiture combines an intelligent and acutely-observed visual humour, frequently imbued with a quiet pathos. His striking, highly original aesthetic has attracted industry-wide acclaim and has led to commissions from publications including Rolling Stone, Esquire and Harper's Bazaar.
During his 25 year career, Hardcastle has worked with a roster of stars of stage and screen including Ricky Gervais, Billy Zane, Michael Sheen, and Stephen Fry.
'Mr Detective Man' is the latest exhibition of Hardcastle's celebrity portraiture to be staged at Mead Carney and follows his highly successful show at the gallery in early 2014, entitled 'Dark Tales'.
With a First Class Honours degree in Photography and a Masters' in Fine Art Photography from Edinburgh College of Art, Rich Hardcastle has over 25 years' experience as a commercial photographer. He is one of the elite BAFTA photographers who have shot portraits for BAFTA's archive and is the official backstage photographer at the BAFTA Film Awards. His previous projects with the likes of Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, where he was commissioned to document the making of the award winning show 'Extras', brought him industry-wide acclaim. The resultant images were released in a book titled The Illustrated Scripts. Hardcastle travelled the world as 'special photographer' in the hit TV series "An Idiot Abroad", which was also published in book form. There are several works by Hardcastle in the prestigious permanent collection of The National Portrait Gallery.