Shaun Bloodworth, photographer who captured British dance underground, has died

Shaun Bloodworth, the music photographer who captured the evolution of Rinse FM and took portraits of underground musicians like Benga and Skream, has died. 

The Sheffield-born photographer had been in hospital for nearly four months awaiting a liver transplant. In that time he also suffered an infection that resulted in the amputation of the lower part of one of his legs.

Today many of us have lost a talented/dear friend, but he & his family have lost so much more. RIP Shaun Bloodworth. pic.twitter.com/1kzbagGUR5

— David Bailey (@davidkiosk) September 15, 2016

fuck no… rip @BloodworthPhoto If I was in London I'd be at XOYO tonight. Respect to Shaun forever. pic.twitter.com/itQgyel1Me

— Four Tet (@FourTet) September 15, 2016

rest in peace shaun bloodworth. the dance goes on as we celebrate life and #raveforshaun tonight at xoyo ❤️ pic.twitter.com/3NIyKNr1jF

— Josey Rebelle (@JoseyRebelle) September 15, 2016

RIP Shaun @BloodworthPhoto the kindest man who quietly enriched so many lives..devastated to lose you my dear friend pic.twitter.com/H9tbF7lEsH

— maryanne hobbs (@maryannehobbs) September 15, 2016

Shaun Bloodworth .. You know when you meet someone and about 10 seconds in you just know someone is a G? .. that was Shaun! .. he was genuinely one of the nicest people i came across in this whole industry. Massively un effected and consistently happy , smiley and very kind. His work represented a generation and a real sub culture and his enthusiasm was priceless. It was always so upful workin with him with his refreshing steel city warmth and passion and of course his distinctive and iconic talent . He took all my 3 album covers and has been a big part of career thus for my life, but all that aside , again, i cannot stress how joyful his vibe was… im so so sad for his passing and send maximum love and blessings to his family.. rest in beats my g … xxxxx http://raveforshaun.com #RaveForShaun

A photo posted by toddlat (@toddlat) on Sep 15, 2016 at 8:36am PDT

Shaun was a true supporter of our expression – he was a friend , will be missed , and forever loved https://t.co/0oxMbWRqXV

— Matthewdavid (@MatthewDavidMcQ) September 15, 2016

RIP Shaun Bloodworth – an inspirational human being, genuine friend, and gifted photog. Please donate if possible: https://t.co/Rr2E8Wliwk

— Daddy Kev (@daddykev) September 15, 2016

A fundraising event, headed up by Benga, Katy B and Alexander Nut, is due to take place at London’s XOYO tonight.

Bloodworth spent many years documenting the British dance underground, taking portraits of key artists including Hudson Mohawke, Skream, Mary Anne Hobbs, Illum Sphere, while also creating a visual identity and presence for an ever-evolving Rinse FM.

Alongside design studio GiveUpArt, Bloodworth captured the evolution of Rinse FM and the former pirate station’s DJs in his trademark stark portraits. His work was a major focus of the 2011 exhibition Rinse Presents: A Visual Retrospective in east London, and his photographs have also been featured in the National Portrait Gallery’s collections.