059 - Muir Vidler

Muir Vidler is a Scottish photographer whose work, often exploring humorous cultural and visual contradictions, straddles the increasingly blurred line between fine art and documentary. Born in Edinburgh, Muir previously worked as a chef, street entertainer and cruise ship photographer, where he learnt the rudiments of photography and managed to save enough money to enrol in a post-graduate diploma in photojournalism at the London College of Printing. In 2001 his portrait series of ageing British rebels and mavericks, Rebels Without a Pause was published by the Sunday Times Magazine. Since then Muir has remained in London and divides his time between commissions for magazines, corporations and record labels and personal, self-assigned projects. Muir's work has been exhibited internationally and has appeared in publications such as the New York Times, Time Magazine, Vogue and Vanity Fair. He is represented by Rove Gallery in the UK and the Mindy Solomon Gallery in the USA and is currently working on his first photobook, entitled Everything Is True. In episode 59, Muir discusses, among other things: The pros and cons of sharing an office His new book project, Everything Is True His style of portrait photography Growing up - California vs. Scotland What he learnt as a cruise ship photographer (250th at F11) Shooting self- assigned projects on spec. A Libyan beauty pageant and meeting Colonel Gadaffi Books mentioned: Lolita - Vladimir Nabakov Stoner - John Williams Photographers mentioned: Steve Pyke Richard Avedon Gareth McConnell Harry Benson Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram “I still shoot like I shot then all the time now. I’ll tell you what I learnt: outside, bright sunlight, 100ASA, 250th, F11.”