location portrait Theo May musician violin fiddle river Avon fossils

A Portrait Project #54 – Theo May

Do people make a place or does a place make its people?….

I first moved to Malmesbury in 2005, I had been working here for about 6 months and wanted to put down some roots after moving about since finishing ‘Art School’ in London. It was amazing how quickly Malmesbury become home. Yes it has a fantastic location, a wonderfully weird layout and some awesome history but its the people that make this place, or perhaps this place that creates and attracts these people?

Theo is one such person, fantastically and wonderfully left field, creatively and intellectually questioning, interesting and interested, brave, brazen and bonkers….. a perfect subject and one who only just fits into one blog post, and it’ll be longer than normal!

location portrait Theo May musician violin fiddle river Avon fossils
location portrait Theo May musician violin fiddle river Avon fossils

It would be impossible to place Theo into any one musical box, not just genre spanning but flipping from virtuoso classical violinist, to improvised jazz songwriter, to instrument maker and modifier, to folk story teller…

location portrait Theo May musician violin fiddle river Avon fossils
location portrait Theo May musician violin fiddle river Avon fossils

Theo is currently recording and preparing to release his first album with Theo May and The Odd Unit, they hope to be release it in the spring of 2023, I for one, and I’ve heard a few bits, cant wait to hear it all….

location portrait Theo May musician violin fiddle river Avon fossils

Theo modifies his own instruments, carving and scrapping away parts and adding more material to specific areas to manipulate the ordinary into the unique.

location portrait Theo May musician violin fiddle river Avon fossils

I’d like to say there was a massive pre-production meeting for the afternoon of shooting, but there was none, except “Something with a load of violins in it” the shoot was made up of, “can I try this” or, “what if you did that” and talking, uninhibited talking, drinking coffee and mucking about, to coin a phrase!

location portrait Theo May musician violin fiddle river Avon fossils
location portrait Theo May musician violin fiddle river Avon fossils

We finished in the river, well Theo was in the river I was on the bank, and why? Well because it was there, at the bottom of the garden was the river and Theo fancied getting in it! As an avid fossil hunter, Theo spends quite a lot of time in rivers, these are his fossil hunting wellingtons with an inbuilt water drainage facility.

location portrait Theo May musician violin fiddle river Avon fossils
location portrait Theo May musician violin fiddle river Avon fossils

I am so fortunate to live in the beautiful town that I do, but even more fortunate to spend time with those that make it so special. I am aways on the look out for new subjects for this portrait project, so if you are or know someone who you’d like to see me photograph, please get in touch.

Everyone is a story, it just needs a picture…

location portrait Theo May musician violin fiddle river Avon fossils

I’d love to hear what you think of the images, as always the easiest way is to comment the post on my page…..RupertBarker Photographer

Thanks, Rupert.