LAWRENCE THOMAS

Lawrence is primarily an artist. He studied fine art at the Byam Shaw School of Art, now absorbed into Central Saint Martins. Funnily enough, that was the school he was rejected from at the time because he was told he was not socially relevant enough for them. He modelled for *L’Uomo Vogue* to earn money for oil paints. His art ventured into the ready-made and installations, which led him to photography and the moving image. He made *Womb Room*, a sensory-deprivation-tank-like affair designed to take you back to the room with a heartbeat and Rothko-like ambience. As an art experiment, Lawrence has been photographing and filming models from Tandy his wife’s agency, Select Models, which she owned and directed and still directs. His work has a Victorian portrait vibe with Tarkovsky and Polanski sensibilities. He cuts through the newness of the media business with that “more time left for the earth” 1960s feeling. He loves his Red Monstro big sensor combined with his converted arsenal of RZ Pentax 67, vintage Nikon, and medium-format cameras, gleaning Herb Ritts-style moving images. They don’t make Lawrence’s anymore, and when you meet him, you’ll think maybe they never did.