“The hedonism is calling from inside the house” - Who, Me? Magazine
Full name: Mason Francis (he/him)
Place of origin: Essex
Current location: Milan, Italy
Instagram handle: mason_francis
Type of photography: Candid, party-flash, nightlife & fashion.
Themes covered: Hedonism, cultural excess, identity & sexuality.
Mason is a UK-born creative based in Milan, working in advertising by day and as a nightlife photographer by night. His flash captures the subcultural terrain of metropolitan life, from raves to runways to late-night grocery stores. This year he photographed Dsquared2’s 30th Anniversary show at Milan Fashion Week and more recently captured steamy partygoers at Boiler Room’s Milan party.
“I’m currently obsessed with documenting the idea of ‘cultural excess’. I recently captured a candid shot of two people making out in an East London off license at 3am which I think is emblematic of this: I don’t just want to capture the glossy veneer we present to people when we arrive at the function, but rather the overflow of indulgence that unravels out during and after it. That’s where culture is. That’s where life is.”
“I’ve listed my nightlife photography under the banner of ‘Visual diaries from Milan’s smoking area’. While this is a nod to the strong focus of hedonism in my photography, I chose this title because I often shoot independently. I am an outsider. I believe that shooting from the perspective of ‘fellow partygoer’, or ‘fellow late night booze runner’ in some cases, shifts the way my subjects and I interact: we are here for the same purpose, and the drink in their hand is also in mine. I am documenting the smoking area from the inside out. I guess the hedonism is calling from inside the house.”
“This dance between the inside and the periphery is hardly unfamiliar to me as a queer person, or to queer artists more generally. We are born into societal norms that aren’t made for us and so have to opt out of them - I need not preach this to the (gay men’s) choir!
“But this business of social deconstruction is invisible work, thankless work, and it’s up to us to make this journey towards our true selves not just seen but respected. Documentation through photography is a powerful means to share our experiences, whether before or after the party. Not from the outside in, as heteronormative society often represents us, but from the inside out.”
Written by: Mason Francis