Peter Ashworth is an

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

photographer. Ashworth initially specialized in music photography, between 1979 and 2000. In the 1980s, he worked with many UK artists including

The Smiths The Smiths were an English rock band formed in Manchester in 1982. They comprised the singer Morrissey, the guitarist Johnny Marr, the bassist Andy Rourke and the drummer Mike Joyce. They are regarded as one of the most important acts to emerg ...

Depeche Mode Depeche Mode are an English electronic music band formed in Basildon, Essex, in 1980. The band currently consists of Dave Gahan (lead vocals and co-songwriting) and Martin Gore (keyboards, guitar, co-lead vocals and main songwriting). Depeche ...

Eurythmics Eurythmics were a British pop duo consisting of Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart. They were both previously in The Tourists, a band which broke up in 1980. The duo released their first studio album, '' In the Garden'', in 1981 to little succ ...

Soft Cell Soft Cell are an English synthpop duo who came to prominence in the early 1980s. The duo consists of vocalist Marc Almond and instrumentalist David Ball. The band are primarily known for their 1981 hit version of "Tainted Love" and their plat ...

Jimmy Page James Patrick Page (born 9 January 1944) is an English musician who achieved international success as the guitarist and founder of the rock band Led Zeppelin. Page is prolific in creating guitar riffs. His style involves various alternative ...

and The Associates. He has also performed as a musician with various bands, including

Marc and the Mambas Marc and the Mambas were a new wave group, formed by Marc Almond in 1982 as an offshoot project from Soft Cell. The band's line-up changed frequently, and included Matt Johnson from and Annie Hogan, with whom Almond worked later in his solo ...

(with

Marc Almond Peter Mark Sinclair "Marc" Almond, (born 9 July 1957) is an English singer. Almond first began performing and recording in the synthpop/ new wave duo Soft Cell where he became known for his distinctive soulful voice and androgynous image. He ...

), The Gadgets, and

The The () are an English post-punk band. They have been active in various forms since 1979, with singer-songwriter Matt Johnson being the only constant band member. achieved critical acclaim and commercial success in the UK, with 15 chart singles ...

. In 1980, Ashworth—using his ''Triash'' pseudonym—was briefly a member of the band

with Matt Johnson. In 1982–1983, he played drums as a member of

. He now works predominantly in fashion and style/culture photography, working with fashion designers such as Stephen Jones,

Basso & Brooke Basso & Brooke is a fashion label formed by Bruno Basso and Christopher Brooke. Bruno Basso was born in Santos, São Paulo, Brazil. Christopher Brooke was born in Newark-on-Trent, UK. After meeting in 2001, they produced their first collection ...

and Atsuko Kudo. He is known in part for his photography of fetish subjects, for creating sets and shooting on location using lighting techniques that explore the textures and cut of his subjects. Ashworth's work is featured in The National Portrait Gallery permanent collection archive, consisting of twelve images:

Adam and the Ants Adam and the Ants were an English rock band formed in London in 1977. The group existed in two incarnations, both fronted by Adam Ant, over the period 1977 to 1982. The first, founded in May 1977 and known simply as The Ants until November of t ...

Kings Of The Wild Frontier ''Kings of the Wild Frontier'' is the second album by English new wave band Adam and the Ants. It was released on 7 November 1980 by CBS Records in the UK and Epic records internationally. The album was the UK number 1 selling album in 1981 ( ...

;

Annie Lennox Ann Lennox (born 25 December 1954) is a Scottish singer-songwriter, political activist and philanthropist. After achieving moderate success in the late 1970s as part of the New wave music, new wave band the Tourists, she and fellow musician D ...

: Touch & Face to Face portrait;

Frankie Goes To Hollywood Frankie Goes to Hollywood were an English synth-pop band formed in Liverpool in 1980. The group's best-known line-up comprised Holly Johnson (vocals), Paul Rutherford (singer), Paul Rutherford (backing vocals), Peter Gill (FGTH drummer), Peter ...

Welcome To The Pleasuredome ''Welcome to the Pleasuredome'' is the debut studio album by English synth-pop band Frankie Goes to Hollywood, first released on 29 October 1984 by ZTT Records. Originally issued as a vinyl double album, it was assured of a UK chart entry at n ...

; Soft Cell -

Bedsitter A bedsit, bedsitter, or bed-sitting room is a form of accommodation common in some parts of the United Kingdom which consists of a single room occupancy, single room per occupant with all occupants typically sharing a bathroom. Bedsits are includ ...

Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret ''Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret'' is the debut studio album by English synth-pop duo Soft Cell, released on 27 November 1981 by Some Bizzare Records. The album's critical and commercial success was bolstered by the success of its lead single, a cov ...

; Associates - Sulk;

Erasure Erasure () is an English synth-pop duo formed in London in 1985, consisting of lead vocalist and songwriter Andy Bell with songwriter, producer and keyboardist Vince Clarke, previously known as co-founder of the band Depeche Mode and a membe ...

- phone-booth;

David Sylvian David Sylvian (born David Alan Batt, 23 February 1958) is an English musician, singer and songwriter who came to prominence in the late 1970s as frontman and principal songwriter of the band Japan. The band's androgynous look and increasingly ...

- portrait;

Julian Cope Julian David Cope (born 21 October 1957) is an English musician and author. He was the singer and songwriter in Liverpool post-punk band the Teardrop Explodes and has followed a solo career since 1983 in addition to working on musical side proj ...

Saint Julian (album) ''Saint Julian'' is the third solo album by Julian Cope. It has a very strong pop sound, compared to other Cope releases, and spawned several of his best known tracks (including "World Shut Your Mouth" and "Trampolene", which were both hit s ...

; Visage - debut sleeve;

Steve Strange Stephen John Harrington (28 May 1959 – 12 February 2015), known professionally as Steve Strange, was a Welsh singer. From the late 1970s he was a nightclub host and promoter. He became famous as the leader of the new wave synth-pop group ...

- portrait.

Photography

Music

Ashworth's work came to prominence in the 1980s when he worked with pop bands such as Soft Cell, Eurythmics and The Associates; rock artists such as

The Clash The Clash were an English rock band formed in London in 1976 who were key players in the original wave of British punk rock. Billed as "The Only Band That Matters", they also contributed to the and new wave movements that emerged in the wa ...

The Ramones The Ramones were an American punk rock band that formed in the New York City neighborhood of Forest Hills, Queens, in 1974. They are often cited as the first true punk rock group. Despite achieving a limited commercial appeal in the United ...

The Cult The Cult are an English rock band formed in 1983 in Bradford, West Yorkshire. Before settling on their current name in January 1984, the band performed under the name Death Cult, which was an evolution of the name of lead singer Ian Astbury's ...

Tina Turner Tina Turner (born Anna Mae Bullock; November 26, 1939) is an American-born Swiss retired singer and actress. Widely referred to as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Queen of Rock 'n' Roll", she rose to prominence as the lead singer o ...

and

; post-punk band PIL with

John Lydon John Joseph Lydon (; born 31 January 1956), also known by his former stage name Johnny Rotten, is an English singer and songwriter. He was the lead singer of the late-1970s punk band the Sex Pistols, which lasted from 1975 until 1978, and aga ...

; 1980s-era

New Romantic The New Romantic movement was an underground subculture movement that originated in the United Kingdom in the late 1970s. The movement emerged from the nightclub scene in London and Birmingham at venues such as Billy's and The Blitz. The New ...

performers Visage and

; and established artists such as

Bryan Ferry Bryan Ferry CBE (born 26 September 1945) is an English singer and songwriter. His voice has been described as an "elegant, seductive croon". He also established a distinctive image and sartorial style: according to ''The Independent'', Ferry an ...

. Ashworth's images have been used on album and single covers of the artists he has photographed, including Adam & The Ants’ ''

Kings of the Wild Frontier ''Kings of the Wild Frontier'' is the second album by English new wave band Adam and the Ants. It was released on 7 November 1980 by CBS Records in the UK and Epic records internationally. The album was the UK number 1 selling album in 1981 ( ...

'', The Associates’ '' Sulk'', Soft Cell's ''

'', Frankie Goes to Hollywood's ''

Welcome to the Pleasuredome ''Welcome to the Pleasuredome'' is the debut studio album by English synth-pop band Frankie Goes to Hollywood, first released on 29 October 1984 by ZTT Records. Originally issued as a vinyl double album, it was assured of a UK chart entry at n ...

'', Visage's debut album ''Visage'' and Eurythmics' ''

Touch In physiology, the somatosensory system is the network of neural structures in the brain and body that produce the perception of touch ( haptic perception), as well as temperature ( thermoception), body position (proprioception), and pain. It ...

''. Unusually for a rock photographer, Ashworth worked mostly with the large, square format Hasselblad cameras because, as he reasoned, ‘album covers are square’.

Fashion

Through his initial work with musicians and designers in the eighties, Ashworth came into contact with fashion designers and moved into the area of fashion photography, working with designers such as British milliner Stephen Jones OBE, (both Ashworth and Jones working together with Visage and Steve Strange)) - Jones using Ashworth's portrait on his first business card in 1979. Ashworth has also worked and with British fetish designers Murray & Vern,

, and Atsuko Kudo. Ashworth's photographic work with the avant-garde performance artist and fashion model

Leigh Bowery Leigh Bowery (26 March 1961 – 31 December 1994) was an Australian performance artist, club promoter, and fashion designer. Bowery was known for his flamboyant and outlandish costumes and makeup as well as his (sometimes controversial) perform ...

was featured in a 2012 celebration of Bowery's life entitled Xtravaganza: Staging Leigh Bowery that was held at the Kunsthalle Wien museum in Vienna, Austria.

Musician

In 1980, Ashworth - using the pseudonym Triash - as briefly a member of the band The The with Matt Johnson, appearing on the single " Controversial Subject" as drummer and vocalist. In 1982–1983, he played drums as a member of Marc and the Mambas, appearing on their debut album ''

Untitled Untitled or (Untitled) may refer to: Artworks * '' Untitled (2004)'', by Banksy * ''Untitled'' (1982 painting), by American artist Jean-Michel Basquiat * ''Untitled'' (Devil), a 1982 painting by American artist Jean-Michel Basquiat * ''Untitled ...

'' and photographing the album's cover; and again as band percussionist and album photographer for their follow-up album, ''

Torment and Toreros ''Torment and Toreros'' is the second album to be released by Marc and the Mambas. The album reached #28 on the UK album charts in August 1983. The song "Torment" was written by Marc Almond, Steven Severin of Siouxsie and the Banshees, Robert Sm ...

'' Ashworth was also drummer in The The's Matt Johnson’s side project The Gadgets, who produced one album in 1983, ''The Blue Album''.

Other

The ubiquity of Ashworth’s photographic work with music artists in the eighties led to him being mentioned in

Mari Wilson Mari Macmillan Ramsay Wilson (born 29 September 1954, Neasden, London) is a British pop and jazz singer. She is best known for her 1982 UK top-10 hit single "Just What I Always Wanted" and her 1960s image complete with beehive hairstyle. Car ...

’s UK Top 10 hit song ‘

Just What I Always Wanted "Just What I Always Wanted" is a song by English singer Mari Wilson, released as a single in 1982. It is from her 1983 debut album '' Showpeople''. As Wilson's fifth single release, "Just What I Always Wanted" was her first UK top 40 hit, reach ...

’ (The lyrics also namecheck the song's writer, Teddy Johns, though 'Teddy' is often misheard as 'Tenney') “I've got a mink from Paris, a ring from Rome
A whole new wardrobe in my home
A tune from Teddy, an Ashworth snap
These are the landmarks on my map
I've got just what I always wanted”

Exhibitions

Solo

* Mavericks - Lever Gallery, London, 2018. *Mavericks Photographic Show - The Gallery, Liverpool, 2018

Contributor

* Street Style: From Sidewalk to Catwalk - V&A, London * Hats: An Anthology by Stephen Jones - V&A, London * The House of Annie Lennox - V&A, London * Otherness - Louis Vuitton Gallery, Paris

Books

Contributor * Fetish: Masterpieces of Erotic Fantasy Photography by

Michelle Olley Michelle Olley is a British writer, journalist and magazine and book editor. Michelle Olley attended the University of Westminster in London where she attained a BA (Hons) in Media Studies, specialising in print journalism. She began her career i ...

Selected album, EP and single cover photography

Tar Tar is a dark brown or black viscous liquid of hydrocarbons and free carbon, obtained from a wide variety of organic materials through destructive distillation. Tar can be produced from coal, wood, petroleum, or peat. "a dark brown or black bit ...

(Visage's first single, 1979) *

(Adam and the Ants, 1980) * Visage (Visage, 1980) *

(Soft Cell, 1981) *

Bedsitter (song) "Bedsitter" is a song by British synthpop duo Soft Cell, from the album ''Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret''. Released as a single in early 2nd November 1981, it reached No. 4 in the UK. A song that explored the underbelly of the London club scene of the t ...

single (Soft Cell, 1981) * In the Garden (Eurythmics, 1981) * Careless Memories (Duran Duran's second single, 1981) * Sticky George (The Korgies, 1981) *Uncertain Smile single (The The, 1982) *

(Eurythmics, 1983) *

You Are in My System "You Are in My System" is a 1982 song recorded by American band the System. The song, written by Mic Murphy and David Frank, was released in August 1982 by Mirage Records. The song is also included on their debut studio album ''Sweat'' (1983). Th ...

(Robert Palmer, 1983) * Making History (Linton Kwesi Johnson, 1983) * Doppelganger (Kid Creole and the Coconuts, 1983) *

, (

, 1984) *

Vermin in Ermine ''Vermin in Ermine'' is the début solo studio album by the British singer/songwriter Marc Almond. It was released in October 1984 and reached number 36 on the UK Albums Chart. ''Vermin in Ermine'' includes the singles "The Boy Who Came Back", "Yo ...

(Marc Almond, 1984) *

Bananarama Bananarama are an English pop duo from London, formed as a trio in 1980 by friends Sara Dallin, Siobhan Fahey and Keren Woodward. Fahey left the group in 1988 and was replaced by Jacquie O'Sullivan until 1991, when the trio became a duo. Thei ...

(Bananarama, 1984) *

Doctor! Doctor! "Doctor! Doctor!" is a song performed by the British new wave band Thompson Twins. It is the second single from the band's fourth studio album, '' Into the Gap'' (1984). It was written by Tom Bailey, Alannah Currie and Joe Leeway, and promine ...

(Thompson Twins, 1984) *

Private Dancer ''Private Dancer'' is the fifth solo studio album by Tina Turner. It was released on May 29, 1984, through Capitol Records and was her first album released through the label. After several challenging years of going solo after divorcing Ike T ...

(Tina Turner, 1984) *

Sophisticated Boom Boom ''Sophisticated Boom Boom'' is the debut studio album by English pop band Dead or Alive, released on 20 April 1984 by Epic Records. Featuring mostly synth-pop and dance elements, the album contains the band's first UK Top 40 single, a cover v ...

(Dead Or Alive, 1984) * Addicted to Love (Robert Palmer, 1986) * The Foolish Thing to Do (Heaven 17, 1986) * Saint Julian (Julian Cope, 1987) * Holy Water (The Triffids song) (The Triffids, 1987) * Outrider (Jimmy Page, 1988) * Malafemmina (Gianna Nannini, 1988) * Different (Thomas Anders, 1989) *

And Now the Legacy Begins ''And Now the Legacy Begins'' is the debut album of Canadian hip hop duo Dream Warriors, released April 23, 1991. It was released worldwide on Island Records and in the United States on sub-label 4th & B'way Records (although it was not a hit in ...

(Dream Warriors, 1991) * Devil Hopping (Inspiral Carpets, 1994) * Das Ist Ein Groovy Beat, Ja (Jake Slazenger, 1996) *

Hearts and Knives ''Hearts and Knives'' is the fourth studio album by the British rock/pop band Visage. It was released on 20 May 2013 and was the band's first album of new material in 29 years. Background In January 2013, Visage announced their new line-up t ...

(Visage, 2013) * Late Night Tales: Röyksopp (various artists, 2013)

References

External links

* Peter Ashworth * Peter Ashworth : Mavericks * The Guardian illustrated interview {{DEFAULTSORT:Ashworth, Peter Year of birth missing (living people) Living people English rock drummers English photographers The The members Marc and the Mambas members