“The amount of bums that have been on that – Elton’s sat there!” The photographer Miles Aldridge is directing me to the bench in front of his now signature orange curtain that appeared, behind Elton John, on the cover of Time in 2024.
The temporary photobooth-style setup for that 15-minute shoot, complete with a kitsch array of props, was so enjoyable that Aldridge decided to extend the concept and take it on the road to Art Basel Miami Beach, Frieze LA and the Venice Biennale, offering the chance for anyone to become his subject. Now during Frieze and Pad fairs and London’s busiest art week, he’s bringing his polaroid camera to Mount Street Arts Festival.
The format is simple: book a 15-minute slot at his temporary South Audley Street studio this week, take your pick from the heaving prop table, sit down and let Aldridge snap away. Groups of up to four can take part and you’ll get around 10 signed original polaroids to keep, as well as digital JPG scans.
“I call it vernacular photography,” he tells me as I pose with a plastic crow while he checks the lighting. Aldridge, who has work in the National Portrait Gallery, British Museum and V&A, is more used to capturing actors, rock stars and supermodels but has been loving the spontaneity of these open-to-all shoots. “You never know who will walk in,” he says. The subjects have loved it too. “So many people in Venice told me it was their favourite part [of the Biennale’s opening week].”
Aldridge is relaxed and warm during my moment in the spotlight. He pops on some Serge Gainsbourg and directs me to look this way and that. The use of props lets you get into the fantasy of it. “Very Hans Holbein,” he says of my crow-clutching pose as we inspect the developing images.
As well as housing Aldridge’s studio, 62 South Audley Street is hosting a pop-up bookshop by global gallerists Hauser & Wirth for the duration of the festival, stacked with art and photography titles. Most of the other festival events are now sold out but there are still a few final spaces to book a session with Aldridge this week.
Miles Aldridge’s 15 Minutes of Fame runs at 62 South Audley Street until Saturday October 17 as part of the Mount Street Arts Festival. A 15-minute shoot costs £380 for up to four people.
