West Midlands based photographer Tia Lloyd took inspiration to undertake this project from their curiosity in the skinhead subculture as well as an interest in the misconception and poor stereotypes skinheads have been branded with since the 80’s.
The objective of ‘Skinheads, We Never Left’ has been to observe the lifestyle of both new and old generation skinheads, their commitments to their culture and what it means to them as individuals to be a part of the skinhead brotherhood as well as highlight the incorrect fascist reputation skinheads have been labeled with. “It is the lifelong commitment of the brotherhood which interests me mostly. Some of my subjects adopted the skinhead way of life when they were just children, no older than 15 years old and still till this day 40,50 years later they still stand proudly as a part of the skinhead brotherhood. Skinheads, We Never Left gives an insight into the lifestyle behind the skinhead subculture from an insider’s perspective. Spending time with my subjects allowed me to photograph from an insider’s perspective, these photographs are far from a quick snapshot. They are more of a documentation of each individual I have met along the way.
The people I have met throughout my project are amongst the most welcoming people I have ever met. They have made me feel welcome within the skinhead brotherhood and have allowed me to explore their lifestyle, for this I’m very grateful.”
“It wasn’t until I started this project that I truly understood the intensity of the misconception issue surrounding skinheads. The more I looked into this reputation, I discovered majority of the perceived reputation is in fact false and has been evoked by the media over the years after fascists stole the skinhead dress style in the late 70’s. Skinheads refer to these fascists as boneheads, it is the bonehead’s which manipulated the way skinheads would be perceived throughout history. It is time these people were given a voice to express the true meaning behind the skinhead lifestyle. Many people are unaware that the skinhead subculture actually originated from Jamaican culture. Working class youth of the 60’s embraced the reggae music and rude boy style that Jamaican migrants introduced into council estates throughout England. The origins of the subculture in fact contradicts its fascist reputation, how could a multicultural subculture be made up of fascist people?”
