HÄN Archive

GUNS OUT by Lydia Garnett for Somesuch Stories Issue 7

in conversation with Chloe Turner

CHLOE TURNER:

Tell me about the inspiration behind the new ‘Guns Out’ series: how did you come to the project? And what creative goals guided the process?

LYDIA GARNETT:

I’ve been wanting to shoot some muscular dykes for a while. And this idea of showcasing sexy dykes and mascs getting their kit off – showing off their physiques – has been simmering in my mind too. The gym can definitely feel like a space that only makes room for narrow ideals of masculinity, fitness and what a ‘perfect’ physique is. So I wanted to shoot dykes, trans and non-binary people owning their strength and power; in boxing gloves, tattoos on display, muscles popping. I’m really excited to see this series exhibited and on the cover of Somesuch Stories.

Text and interview by: Chloe Turner

Photography by: Lydia garnett

CHLOE:

The photographs look gorgeous, I recognise some of the faces. How did you go about curating and deciding who would be featured in the final series?

LYDIA:

I basically put out a call on my Instagram saying I was doing a queer gym shoot and to reach out if you’d be interested in being a part of it. In my experience, when you talk to people directly, like ‘Hey, I think you look amazing, wanna do a photoshoot?’ – 9 out of 10 times people are so down and appreciative. They get excited to show off their thing. Whether it’s their style, or their muscles.

And even though a bunch of the models already knew each other, it quickly gave me a good overview of the muscle queer community. Everyone was stoked to celebrate their hard work and have it displayed in this way. It felt like people were owning the experience rather than my imposing some vision onto them. That collaborative element really shines through, and brings so much confidence and personality to the photos.

CHLOE:

How did your creative vision evolve through the experience of working with the models?

LYDIA:

At first, I thought I’d do more active poses: get people to really flex and show off their muscles. I tried to emulate those classic Schwarzenegger-esque poses, and there’s definitely humour and nods to that over-the-top masculine imagery in some shots.

But we found the images felt most authentic when people were letting their guard down rather than “performing” some intensified version of physicality. Those shots where the models were being still, letting their incredible bodies speak for themselves.

There’s something so powerful about those quiet details that highlight their visible strength. So I ended up loving the simplest images the most.

Those bodybuilder competitions photographs that you see hung on gym walls were also part of my inspiration. I was into playing with that, and the models were down to have fun with it too. But keeping that realness is what makes the photos so beautiful.

CHLOE:

Yeah, I can see how the exaggerated flexing could look forced. There’s something beautiful about that relaxed confidence you captured instead.

LYDIA:

Exactly, I’m glad that simplicity came through. I feel like with a project like this you can either go super cheesy and camp, which I’m inclined to do, but when you’re face to face with someone taking their photo – you want it to feel true to them, you know? To get them on board and feeling comfortable in their skin.

Especially following on from my previous black and white portrait project ‘Close Shave’, which was really intimate and stripped back. I didn’t want to suddenly go to some exaggerated place that felt too far from that.

CHLOE:

I love how some of the photographs in ‘Guns Out’ have this subtle queer coding that viewers can pick up on if they know what to look for. It reminds me so much of your work in ‘Close Shave’– playing with tropes and symbols that resonate for the queer community in an understated way. It’s hinting at queerness in a way where it’s visible if you’re in the know, but can fly under the radar if you’re not looking for it. A straight eye could easily glance at those photographs and miss their queer and trans subtext.

LYDIA:

Yeah, with ‘Close Shave’, there were those butch tropes, like the classic hair curl, that were little nods. And in this series, having some shots be more distant or playing with shadow adds to that coded, ambiguous nature.

I want to celebrate queer style and bodies without having to announce or over explain it. Let it be self-evident for those who can see our world.

With each new project it becomes this ongoing queer documentation, whether I’m exploring hair, fitness, etc. As a queer artist you can keep finding fresh angles on themes that have previously been explored just by bringing your own community’s lens’ and experiences to them.

CHLOE:

I also love the focus on re-orientating spaces, like the barbershop or the boxing ring, as part of this visual queer narrative.

LYDIA:

Yeah. It’s about immersing these figures in those spaces so that they can redefine them on their own terms. I find that tension between the setting and subject really exciting.

CHLOE:

Do you see ‘Guns Out’ as a follow on, or expansion of, the ‘Close Shave’ project? I remember you mentioned wanting to get your work printed huge when we were in conversation for that exhibition.

LYDIA:

I remember saying that! I’ve always wanted to see my work printed huge, and this series is going to be printed on A0 and hung from the rafters. With the prints being suspended, you’ll really get a sense of their strength and presence.

I always want to portray my subjects in a bold, confident way: to show them how I see them. With Close Shave, it was all about the direct gaze looking back at the viewer. But having to look up at these figures, who are so self-assured in the space, will feel intimate in a different way.

I like playing with perspective to make the work feel transportive in that way. My goal is always to bring viewers into the world I see when I’m taking the pictures. The success of ‘Close Shave’ gave me the confidence to keep pushing my approach and exploring new themes.

CHLOE:

I always appreciate the collaborative spirit behind your projects. Bringing in your community to reimagine these hypermasculine spaces. It’s such a DIY approach to creating something special with what you have access to.

LYDIA:

Totally, you really need each other to make something like this feel authentic. Having the models themselves hype up the ideas and vibe makes it so much more genuine. It becomes this proper team effort, from conceptualizing the photos to executing them together. Everyone brings their skills, whether that’s modelling, styling, location scouting: we rely on each other’s creative talents to build something unique.

CHLOE:

It feels like such a cultural moment right now for incredible dyke and trans art.

LYDIA:

For sure, I know London has always had a vibrant creative queer scene. But especially in the last few years, I’ve discovered this amazing network of people making work I’m inspired by. It just feels so aligned with where I want to be artistically.

It’s motivating to be among artists pushing the boundaries of queer stories and imagery. Even though we’re all doing our own independent projects, it feels collaborative – like we’re collectively contributing to a canon. I used to feel like I was creating in a void, but now it’s become this conversation where we get to inform and uplift each other’s practices. It makes you feel part of something much bigger.

CHLOE:

I agree. There’s this momentum, which comes from creating community and art that feels special. Even though on the surface each of us is producing our own independent or group projects, underneath there’s this web of ideas that are informing each other.

Looking ahead, what inspirations are you drawing from for your next body of work? How do you envision your practice evolving from here?

LYDIA:

I’m working on a dyke-take on the classic pin-up calendar, which I’m really excited about. I’d love it to become an annual photo series featuring different queer/dyke subjects. There are some cool queer calendars out there already, but I think we could make something with more of an editorial mix: big visuals paired with sexy written stories.