The director Johnny Hardstaff’s first foray into personal work inspired some hasty phone calls. Moments after the early images emerged on his website, his international agent rang his UK agent to raise the alarm. “What the fuck is this? John is losing his mind!! There’s an image on the internet of him being sucked off by a Henry hoover??!” 

“It’s not sucking me off,” Hardstaff clarified. “It’s supposed to be up my arse!” 

The commercial director, who made his name creating moving image in the form of adverts, music videos and movie trailers, found refuge in personal stills after a “very nice agent” gifted him a “posh” camera.