Cover stories: issue 107 by Benedict Campbell

Issue 107 is all about Innovation. Photographer Benedict Campbell took the idea and ran wild with it. Ian Cleverly has the questions, Benedict has the answers behind the image. 

IC: What was the starting point? Did we start with the wheel or the figures?

BC: The figures.

And where did the Black Inc wheel idea come from?

I read something about it, that it was the wheel, the most technologically advanced wheel at the moment, and if we are basing the issue around innovation, why not have the most innovative wheel available?

Exactly. And it’s not even UCI-legal – it’s that hot. Who makes these wonderful little figures?

Preiser, a German company. They were originally made for railway modellers, but they’ve got a massive following in the art world. I first came across them in Japan. I thought they were incredible. They are very collectable.

You started with the builders and engineers, then added the hazmat guys?

We had a priest in there on the first version too, but decided against him...

How did you shoot it?

I shot the wheel first, then I grouped up a few of them and shot them on the same background. They are only about 1.5cm tall.

Buy the issue 107 Innovators art print

So you had to scale them up?

They are probably about twice the size. I thought we should have them the real scale, but more of them. It was a balance of getting the right amount of people in there.

It’s the bucket on a string that’s the killer for me.

Do you see what it says? Carbon! The string and the ladder were all made up by me. I couldn’t get all of the parts. The people had to be glued onto the background to make them stand up. It was quite a process...

Issue 107, an Innovation special, out now.