FEATURE:
Kate Bush: The Iconic Shots
Brian Griffin took a series of Kate Bush photos. You can see them on his website. Bush had seen his cover for Depeche Mode’s A Broken Frame, and she wanted something similar. That album was released the year before. Griffin notes, in his recollections of the photos, that the shots were taken near his home in Frieth, Buckinghamshire. That would not have been too far from where Bush lived, so the idea of doing an interesting shoot so close would have won her quickly. The fact that she had a vision in mind would have given Brian Griffin impetus and inspiration. The final shots are incredible! Although my favourite is one of her in colour, the shot I am highlighting is Griffin’s personal favourite. A gorgeous and almost classic black-and-white shot, this is Bush as you had never seen her. In the early years, Bush was portrayed as sexual and that element was emphasised. As a nun, this was almost a commentary and reversal of that. There is no particular title for the photos, so I have chosen one. It is wonderful seeing Bush in this guide, looking comfortable and serious. It is clear that she was very much into the idea and, as a result, the photos produced were among the best of her. Bush was driven to Griffin’s location. He said how Bush was waiting on the basement at 6:30 one morning on the pavement outside of his studio in Rotherhithe Street. Being so close to where Bush lived (she would have split her time between South London and her family home in Kent). In 1983, Bush was emerging into a new phase.
She released her fourth studio album, The Dreaming, in 1982. The first album of hers she produced solo, the work and intense time she put into its layers, experimentation and sound took a lot out of her. She was exhausted after it, and the long days meant that she did not have much leisure time or opportunity to eat healthily. In 1983, she overhauled her diet, reconnected with dance, allowed herself some time with family and her boyfriend (Del Palmer) to just be normal and unwind. She built a bespoke and huge studio near her family home at East Wickham Farm, Welling. Bush began demos and the workings for what would be 1985’s Hounds of Love. 1983 was a pivotal year where Bush’s music and happiness took a step up. She was preparing her most-acclaimed album and accomplished album. The fact that she was in a better position and looking ahead might have led to her being very responsive and interested working with Griffin. In terms of promotion, there was not a lot out that Bush would have needed to be photographed for. She released The Single File (a video compilation and box set) in November. The same month, she released the last single from The Dreaming, Night of the Swallow (only released in Ireland). Brian Griffin was struck by Kate Bush’s beauty and talent. It must have been exciting but nerve-wracking composing these shots and trying to make them as good as possible!
PHOTO CREDIT: Brian Griffin
I am picturing the scenes of Bush dressing as a nun and where that happened! Being in a field, there would have been very few people near, so it was a fairly intimate shoot. Usually, Bush would be in a studio or surrounded by people when getting photographed. Here, there was a bit more room to manoeuvre and not feel self-conscious. The actions and physicality of the shots shows that Bush was taking up dance again and was also seemingly refreshed and reinvigorated. Sometimes, when artists do dress as religious figures or as a nun, it can cause offence. 1983 was a time when Madonna was breaking through. She is someone who would both inspire and cause offence with some of her imagery. I wonder whether she saw Brian Griffin’s photos or knew about Kate Bush in 1983. In any case, what we have is a series of six photos that cast Bush as a nun. Remarkably striking and compelling, this is a shoot that I would have loved to have observed! Almost forty years after they were taken, they have not aged or look like they were shot in the 1980s. By that, there is none of the big hair and ‘80s fashion. Instead, this is more like a work of art of something from a film. That is another reason why I love the photos. I can see why Brian Griffin was particularly keen on the shot at the very top. It is beautifully lit. Bush has this expression on her face where you wonder if she is deep in thought or listening out for something.
Why is she in a cornfield? Why would a nun be there? You get all this mystery and sense of intrigue. It is a shame that none of the photos made their way onto an album cover or anything from Bush. Maybe she was thinking of these photos when she was recording Hounds of Love. It would have been interesting seeing a video where Bush portrayed this nun figure and we got some context around the shot – maybe action that took Bush there as she was on the run or searching for something. One of my favourite shots of Kate Bush, this 1983 session has such an interesting story and context. Seemingly not related to any pressure from her label, EMI, maybe it was a way for Bush to stay in the public eye or to announce the bones of what would become her fifth studio album. Whatever the reasoning, what we have are exceptional and hugely memorable shots. Brian Griffin’s notes and words about the shots shows what an impression Kate Bush made on him. This, I feel, is…
THE experience of so many.
