Gavin Watson is the author of a best selling book, 'Skins'. I find his work inspirational as I believe he manages to capture, in photograph, the meaning of what it's like to be part of a youth subculture. Gavin, from the age of 14, immersed himself in the the skinhead subculture and the two-tone and ska music scene and took photograph of those immediately around him.
The photograph of his muse, his brother Neville, embracing a tape player conveys the importance of the relationship between music and identity within a youth subculture. You can't help but feel you want to know what song and band is being played.
The two pictures above this, who i'll assume were friends of Watson, capture youthful rebellion - both in fashion and in the act. In the top image, we see two young men enjoying destroying part of a building that has 'SKINS' engraved into its side. We can draw connections here between anti-fashion and anti-social behaviour.
In the image below this, the subject is placed in front of a backdrop covered in simple graffiti depicting political symbols and further references to music. While most would consider distaste at the poor graffiti, this style has become symbolic of the skinhead and punk movements.
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