31 Jan 42 Arlington Square Islington (Siouxie Sioux) London 1982

John Maybury helped to make  this picture happen. He kindly suggested to Siouxie that she should be photographed by me. It was 1982. I was at Hornsey School of Art, lodging in a house in Arlington Sq. I’d just photographed John and Derek Jarman. John was great friends with Siouxie.
She arrived in a black cab, which seemed incredibly grown up and wealthy. I could never have afforded a cab, I was really impressed but it seemed at odds with her punk image. I’m not sure how I expected her to arrive – maybe walking and spitting and chewing gum …but the cab seemed very ladylike and it was the first time anyone had come to me to be photographed.
We tried a few shots and nothing majorly interesting happened and as we were coming up the stairs from the basement I saw her reflection in a picture glass.
I love the silhouette and the sensitivity of the line of her arm with the cigarette in image 2.