When Mark Vessey first saw Norman Cook’s record box, he knew immediately it was something special. “I saw it one evening when he was using it to DJ and was drawn to it straight away,” Mark recalls. “It’s such a reflection of Norman’s playful character and captures his journey and history of pop culture.”
For Norman, better known to the world as Fatboy Slim, the record box is a companion that has travelled with him across decades of shows and countless dancefloors. “This box has been everywhere I’ve been,” he says. “From Australia’s Big Beach Boutique to Santa Cruz, Ibiza and Glastonbury. I’ve always loved stickers, and when you travel, you collect them. They’re like trophies. This box wears its art on its sleeve.”
During an era when vinyl was the only format a DJ needed, this was the box that carried Norman’s records from one stage to the next. Layered with badges and stickers from Keith Haring’s Pop Shop, Acid House smilies, Stüssy, Dior and more, it holds not only music but memories — traces of a time when global club culture was still raw, communal, and fiercely creative.
For Vessey, whose work celebrates the beauty and meaning of personal collections, photographing the record box felt like a natural continuation of his practice. “I knew I had to photograph it as an important artefact,” he explains. “In the same way as Norman’s vinyl collection, it’s a unique reflection of him. The two works speak directly to each other.” The Brighton-based pair first collaborated in 2018 on Norman, a piece immortalising Cook’s prized record collection.
HU: What was it like to capture such a personal object?
Mark: "I feel very proud of this piece of artwork, as I feel it’s such a reflection of Norman and his journey. I believe it speaks of moments in his history that have become a shared history. It seems as if life is shifting so fast at the moment, and to me, this artwork is a reminder of those times and historical cultural threads that have touched our lives."
HU: You’ve photographed many collections before. What draws you to them?
Mark "For me it’s the messages that they carry. There is a tangible energy that is transmitted through them that becomes a shared history. Perfectly imperfect, they tell a story that reflects us back to ourselves. I learn so much about myself through other people, their cultural threads and ties. I have had the privilege and trust to transform these collections with my camera. To be able to tell their stories, draw attention to them in a new way that maybe in such a fast-paced life we would otherwise pass by."
Norman agrees. “The significance of what Mark does with objects like this is he makes you see their importance,” he reflects in the accompanying film. “This isn’t just someone’s old records or an old box; it’s history. He finds beauty in the flawed nature of our possessions and makes you appreciate why they matter.”
HU: The work will feature in Norman’s forthcoming book, It Ain’t Over, releasing this October 16th. How does it feel to see it included?
Mark: "I’m so proud to have my artwork included in Norman’s forthcoming book. I feel I’ve created a space in the world where I can be myself, and be accepted for being me and in turn, my artwork has been given a platform to be seen. That means the world to me. I can see more clearly how much of me goes into my artwork, and all the doubt turns into certainty. I’m starting to surrender to the process, which feels like an exciting time.”
Norman’s Record Box is available exclusively through Hang-Up Gallery in four edition sizes, including the large-scale Motherpiece edition, printed directly to dibond at 125 × 125 cm and presented in a bespoke open tray frame.
Each work is signed and numbered by both artists, a rare opportunity to own a tangible piece of music and visual art history.
