Jeremy Clarkson and a lamb - The Sunday Times Magazine

Jeremy Clarkson is best know for driving fast cars and having controversial opinions. However, recently he’s turned his hand to tilling the soil and become a bit of an ambassador for countryside communities. Rather a u-turn, and one I was eager to exploit when Russ O’Connell asked me to photograph him for the cover of The Sunday Times Magazine. I had photographed Clarkson once before, when he had taken over the magazine with a rather comical set of recipes designed to inspire everyone to eat more healthily. That time I shoved a carrot in his mouth. But what was I to do this time? How do you present such a well known figure in a new and interesting way? Obviously I turned to Jesus for help. You see the thing I love about visual art is that there is a rich history to call upon. Certain types of images represent certain things, and a man holding a lamb will in some way remind everyone of Jesus, even if they didn’t realise it. So by getting Jeremy to hold a tiny sheep I can call upon all the emotions that are typically associated with Jesus and place them upon him. It had to be done really. All that was left to do was to find a lamb and as it was lambing season that was fairly easy. The one we chose ended up being rather a poser totally at home in the limelight of our little studio – or maybe he just enjoyed cuddling with Jeremy. Massive thanks to Russ O’Connell for the great fun commission, to Oliver Mayhall for assisting so brilliantly, and to Nick for persuading Jeremy to hold a lamb.