Diving into his archive spanning thirty years of film photography, Eddie showcases mostly unseen work for his latest book. From his iconic images of the Jungle scene in the mid-90s to The Wu-Tang Clan in Kentish Town and his exploration of rural Britain, Otchere's work pulsates with the emotion of material memory. Leaning on the romantic ideal of photography as truth, this book is honest and raw in its celebration of the innovators of Black creative consciousness and the entire world of culture borne from communities raised in urban social housing, featuring icons across a vast array of the creative arts (hip hop, drum & bass, film, poetry, and sports), and an immersive body of progenitors of contemporary urban passion, life and culture.
Hailing from the epicentre of London's underground culture, this book documents how Otchere crafted the visual identities of Jungle, UK Garage, drum & bass, and hip hop, working with artists including Goldie, Kemet Crew, Ganja Kru, So Solid Crew, Lethal B, Dizzee Rascal, Bad Company, and Reinforced Records. Outlining his practice, influence, and personal history, Spirit Behind the Lens is a retrospective of Britain's Black cultural environment told through the work of its greatest and most influential photographer. This is a manual on how to navigate the emotional aspects of being creative, and an exploration of the romance of photography itself from a highly skilled photographer and darkroom scientist.