Cian Traynor

The torture of Tokyo rush hour, up close and impersonal
Outdoors

The torture of Tokyo rush hour, up close and impersonal

One hell of a commute — Photographer Michael Wolf spent years documenting the world's busiest travel system, capturing a claustrophobic nightmare endured by millions travelling across Japan's capital.

Written by: Cian Traynor

An epic encounter with John Lydon: punk's most iconic troublemaker
Culture

An epic encounter with John Lydon: punk's most iconic troublemaker

The Firestarter — As the face of both the Sex Pistols and Public Image Ltd, John Lydon has been a groundbreaking force in counterculture – always outspoken, never indifferent. Now, 40 years after kickstarting punk, he’s looking back on that path in a different light.

Written by: Cian Traynor

Life as a teenager, with the volume cranked up
Culture

Life as a teenager, with the volume cranked up

Coming of age on camera — Filmmakers Jenny Gage and Tom Betterton spent three years documenting the lives of seven girls growing up in New York. What they captured is an exhilarating insight into an awkward transition.

Written by: Cian Traynor

A five-year portrait of life and love in the Mississippi Delta
Culture

A five-year portrait of life and love in the Mississippi Delta

Gravity is Stronger Here — Award-winning photographer Phyllis B. Dooney embedded herself in Southern living to capture all the beautiful contradictions of an archetypal American family.

Written by: Cian Traynor

A one-off journey to the heart of documentary filmmaking
Culture

A one-off journey to the heart of documentary filmmaking

Life through a different lens — Cinematographer Kirsten Johnson has spent 25 years capturing candid moments in tense situations around the world. Now she's laying that process bare – ethical warts and all – to interrogate the camera's power.

Written by: Cian Traynor

The drag queen who changed Ireland
Culture

The drag queen who changed Ireland

From accidental activist to icon — As an outspoken gay performer living with HIV, Panti Bliss has become an unlikely – but empowering – ambassador for a once-conservative country.

Written by: Cian Traynor

Alex Webb shares the secrets to his success
Culture

Alex Webb shares the secrets to his success

A master reveals his craft — Magnum photographer Alex Webb has travelled the globe, catching cinematic moments that feel timeless. At a rare talk in London, he sheds some light on the secrets of his success.

Written by: Cian Traynor

This is what the magic of adolescence looks like...
Culture

This is what the magic of adolescence looks like...

A fading innocence — Photographer Bianka Schumann embedded herself in the closed-off world of two pre-teens, capturing that fleeting “no-man’s land” between childhood and adult maturity.

Written by: Cian Traynor

The Russia you'll never see on postcards...
Outdoors

The Russia you'll never see on postcards...

Street life, St. Petersburg-style — Award-winning photographer Alexander Petrosyan has spent decades discovering what makes his home town tick: the everyday comedy and drama of a city built on contradictions.

Written by: Cian Traynor

How Dirty Projectors found salvation with a beautiful break-up album
Culture

How Dirty Projectors found salvation with a beautiful break-up album

Kaleidoscopic heartbreak — An in-band split left indie maestro Dave Longstreth lost and depressed. But after collaborating with the likes of Kanye and Solange, he's pulled off a remarkable U-turn to up the stakes of an unpredictable career.

Written by: Cian Traynor

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Issue 81: The more than a game issue

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