Psychography and Kevin Cummins

I have recently been poring through two books by the photographer Kevin Cummins. One is a rather rare and collectible book titled The Smiths and Beyond published by Vision On. The other is Manchester – Looking for the Light Through the Pouring Rain which was published by Faber and Faber last year. Both offerings contain fascinating images and can only be considered photography par excellence. Certainly these books present a plethora of historical interest for any modern musicologist, Smiths fan or Manchester-Sadchester-Madchester-ologist. Anyone who can relate to the Stone Roses, The Fall, Joy Division, Magazine, The Happy Mondays, New Order or many other rock 'n' roll groups from the 70's on that contributed to Manchester's rich musical lore should find some leisurely hours well spent in their perusal. The quality and artistry of the photos though truly do astonish. Whether the pictures are of a mere building, an iconic performer or of the engaged or casual crowd, Cummins has the unique ability to reveal several complex levels in his subject. One gets a direct sense not only of the subject's personality, but of their mood on the instant and their sense of being in history. All this is done with almost sculptorial precision of lighting which often brings out an animation in the faces of his subjects which I find akin to the finest Greek marbles in the British Museum. The result is that the photos sometimes have a hyper-reality to them in an absolutely unforced and natural way. Special indeed. I personally do not enjoy the over-use or misuse of the word 'soul' and all its flighty religious baggage in our language but would prefer the idea of psychography – a recording or capturing of a human's complex essence and momentary thoughts – to describe these two books. Mere 'photography' seems to fall too short. Besides, someone suggested that Cummins even made Shaun Ryder almost handsome in a particular photo. The man must be a magician.