Matt Irwin (photographer)
Matt Irwin | |
|---|---|
| Born | Matthew James Irwin 10 February 1980 Southport, England |
| Died | 5 May 2016 (aged 36) London Fields, London, England |
| Cause of death | Suicide by GHB overdose |
| Occupation | Photographer |
| Family | Carys Bray (sister) |
Matthew James Irwin (10 February 1980 – 5 May 2016) was a British celebrity photographer.
Life and career
[edit]Matt Irwin was born in Southport, England on 10 February 1980 and grew up in the Mormon church, though he "didn't believe" and "felt rejected" for being gay.[1] His older sister is author Carys Bray.[2] Their father was a stake president in Devon and Cornwall.[3]
Irwin started taking photographs at age 15. He moved to London, and worked as an editor and then in-house photographer at the magazine Dazed & Confused, with his first cover shoot first in 2007.[4][5]
Irwin photographed Lady Gaga, Nicki Minaj, One Direction, Rihanna, Kesha, Rita Ora, Miley Cyrus, and Cara Delevingne, among others.[4][5][6][7]
Death
[edit]After his friends did not hear from him for a few days, police found Irwin dead on 5 May 2016[4][8] in his London Fields flat on Mentmore Terrace. The door had been left open.[9] His family announced he had committed suicide,[10] which his friends believed was related to a breakup. Irwin's suicide was later confirmed by the coroner at the inquest following his death.[11] The investigating coroner, Jaqueline Devonish, noted that he had been suffering with depression and disclosed the results of his post-mortem revealing that he had died as a result of an overdose of GHB.[9] Irwin left an "Open letter to The World" on his laptop, in which he elaborated on his struggles with depression and "growing up in a cult". The note was published in Dazed in September 2016.[1]
References
[edit]- ^ a b Heawood, Sophie (30 September 2016). "Remembering Matt Irwin in the right way". Dazed. Retrieved 16 October 2024.
- ^ Duffy, Tom (8 May 2016). "Southport author Carys Bray 'devastated' at death of brother Matt Irwin". Southport Visitor. Retrieved 15 October 2024.
- ^ Smyth, Richard (24 September 2014). "Carys Bray: 'Until I could be honest about my doubts, I just couldn't write'". New Humanist. Retrieved 15 October 2024.
- ^ a b c Paton, Elizabeth (10 May 2016). "Lady Gaga, Nicki Minaj and More Remember Matt Irwin as a Photographer and Friend". The New York Times. Retrieved 11 May 2016.
- ^ a b "Matt Irwin Dead: Celebrity Photographer Dies at 36". The Hollywood Reporter. 7 May 2016. Retrieved 11 May 2016.
- ^ "Tributes are paid to celebrity photographer Matt Irwin, who has died aged 36 - BBC Newsbeat". Bbc.co.uk. 1 January 1970. Retrieved 11 May 2016.
- ^ "In Memory Of Matt Irwin". Elle Uk. 9 May 2016. Retrieved 11 May 2016.
- ^ Bayley, Leanne (11 February 2016). "RIP Matt Irwin: Celebrities pay tribute to "the creative force" (Glamour.com UK)". Glamourmagazine.co.uk. Retrieved 11 May 2016.
- ^ a b Bartholomew, Emma. "Matt Irwin: One Direction celebrity snapper took own life in his London Fields flat, inquest hears". Hackney Gazette. Retrieved 20 November 2016.
- ^ "Celebrity photographer Matt Irwin took his own life, his family says". BBC. 11 May 2016. Retrieved 19 May 2016.
- ^ "Photographer to the stars killed himself with party drug". Evening Standard. 28 September 2016. Retrieved 20 November 2016.
