One of skateboarding’s most stimulating photographers, Jerome Campbell, has his life transposed into film in this moving documentary about ins and outs of photography in general, as well as its application to skateboarding.
For those who ride the concrete wave that is the culture of skateboarding, the community therein is one which has filled a void – be it emotional, physical, or societal – and cemented them as peaceful beings. Jerome Campbell, in The Distracted Mind, is a perfect example of somebody who, on discovering he could far too happily reject elements of his education, was able to pursue his true passions through the discovery of skateboarding. Specifically, Jerome Campbell draws attention to the similarities between skateboarding and photography, the duo that reign liberally over his life. See Campbell interrogate education, society, and aesthetics, before the somewhat incongruous backdrop of industrial Sheffield (UK); showing us that skateboarding brings beauty wherever it goes, and how this can each all of us to appreciate the beauty in any environment, as he does with his photography.
In an interview with Sidewalk Magazine, when discussing his influences and the passions behind his startling photographs, Campbell said ‘I use photography as a recording device; I guess it’s a visual diary.’ From the photos below, one can observe the truth in that statement.
(Click More to see a selection of Jerome Campbell’s photos)
