NIKKI TOOLE
SKATER
Skater Phase 1: The Stance is a three-phase book project that looks at skater culture and the various environments in which skaters congregate. Much of my work explores notions of unconscious expression and the vulnerability of existing within a group or at the margins of a group. For me, the skater typifies both extremes of this existence.
Many skaters speak of a solitary mind space while skating; of zoning into another state of consciousness. To make these portraits, I asked the skaters to place themselves within this meditative space. When our minds begin to wander, we lose touch with our conscious actions. Such states of being can be both revealing and confronting when looking at photographic images of ourselves.
BIOGRAPHY
Nikki studied photography and film-making in London. She has lectured on the subjects of photography and cultural identities in the UK, France and America and has exhibited widely in the UK, America and Australia. She has also been selected twice as a finalist for the National Photographic Portrait Prize. Nikki’s work is held in private collections worldwide.
Her Skater project will continue throughout next year in America, the UK, Japan, Eastern Europe and Germany. Originally from Scotland, Nikki now calls Melbourne home. www.nikkitoole.com