"I'd Kill to be Famous." 2009.One.

"I'd Kill to be Famous." is one of two final year projects. "I'd Kill to be Famous." is a photographic series which aims to question and critique glamour, tragedy, murder and celebrity in contemporary culture. The work was a full year project that under went many developments and changes. The work was initially inspired by the 1973 film Badlands which was based on the true story of Charles Starkweather and Caril Ann Fugate, who went on a killing spree across America. Charles Starkweather modeled himself on James Dean's character from Rebel Without a Cause. Martin Sheen then played the role of Charles Starkweather in Badlands. After focusing on an American context, I turned closer to home for inspiration. The darker side of New Zealand's rural landscape became the focus with characters such as David Gray and Arthur Allan Thomas taking centre stage. Here are two early photographs from the "I'd Kill to be Famous." series. The first photo is based on the American Starkweather. The second and third photographs depict my father (who is a Criminal Prosecutor) performing the role of New Zealand killer V.S the innocent farmer.

The photographs are intentionally grainy as I was channeling a past time, a type of hazy film still quality was what I was trying to achieve. The photographs got a good response when they were shown and they were sent down to Dunedin for the Post Exhibition in 2009.