Peter Dench - Drinking of England

When I first came across this series of photographs I immediately thought of the work that I had done when I was  in college. Ironically this topic of photography is more universal than my professors had admitted.

Drinking is a cultural past time, and perhaps, as in Peter Dench's photographs a over arching national identity that span's all social barriers.

The English are drinking younger, longer, faster and more cheaply than ever before. In contrast to this ethos my  experience of growing up in Lancaster county PA helped fuel my curiosity about drinking.

Dench's photographs take the viewer thru every social stratum from the highest of societal charity balls to the lowest of low, drinking in the streets of London.

Drinking of England is an often laugh-out-loud stagger to the four corners of this badly behaved nation.

Cheers!

All Photographs by Peter Dench