An unflinching look at Northern Ireland’s rebellious youth
- Text by Megan White
- Photography by Ricky Adam
Photographer Ricky Adam has published the extended second edition of his unique perspective on Northern Ireland’s DIY punk scene, Destroying Everything… Seems Like The Only Option.
Born and raised in Northern Ireland, Adam first discovered photography at the age of 16 after taking photos with a friend’s dad’s camera. He bought his own camera at 19, and has been hooked ever since.
“Photography for me is something that started out purely as a hobby. I rode bikes, skated & all my friends were into punk,” he said. “The things I photographed were a direct response to what I was going on around me, and a catalyst for picking up a camera in the first place.
“I quickly realised that photography was something that I could do pretty well. It fitted in with my lifestyle. I liked the immediacy of it and it was fun, so I stuck at it.”
The majority of the photographs in Destroying Everything… focus on youth subcultures and deal with the frustration of being young and oftentimes directionless – kids winging it, rebelling, doing their own thing.
They document young people spraying graffiti, punk shows, and BMXing through the deserted streets of Bangor, the town where Adam grew up, ten miles from Belfast.
Adam became involved in the punk scene through BMXing aged 12. He focuses on punk rather than the Northern Irish conflict because, “it was a break from the norm and was something positive that I could channel my energy into.
“A lot of the subjects I photograph have a somewhat self-destructive personality – I think everyone is self-destructive in one sense or another. It’s all part of being human.”
Destroying Everything… Seems Like The Only Option is out now. Check out the book promo video.
Enjoyed this article? Like Huck on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.
Latest on Huck
Celebrating 20 years of The Mighty Boosh
A new exhibition takes a look behind the scenes of the iconic show two decades after its BBC3 premiere.
Written by: Isaac Muk
We Run Mountains: Black Trail Runners tackle Infinite Trails
Soaking up the altitude and adrenaline at Europe’s flagship trail running event, high in the Austrian Alps, with three rising British runners of colour.
The organisation levelling the playing field in the music industry
Founded in 2022, The Name Game is committed to helping female, non-binary and trans people navigate the industry.
Written by: Djené Kaba
Vibrant, rebellious portraits of young Cubans
A new photobook captures the young people redefining Cuban identity amidst increased economic and political turbulence on the Caribbean island.
Written by: Isaac Muk
How one photographer documented her own, ever-changing image
In her new photobook ‘A women I once knew’, Rosalind Fox Solomon charts the process of getting older through a series of stark self portraits taken over the course of decades.
Written by: Isaac Muk
Eddie Vedder on Kelly Slater
Read an excerpt from the Pearl Jam legend’s introduction to a new book on the surfing icon, documented by photographer Todd Glaser.
Written by: Eddie Vedder