Two skinheads counting the takings from a neo-Nazi gig: Leo Regan's best photograph

"My driving belief is that we need to be able to communicate, to touch humanity, to try to connect to each other in some way, but I'm also not trying to forgive or underplay the extremities. There was fighting either between different factions or just for fun. Initially, what I saw was deeply shocking. When you're in those environments, it's so venomous and hateful."

"The people were suspicious of me but I was honest about what I wanted to do. They knew I didn't agree with their politics but that I didn't have an agenda. I worked with a Jewish publisher and editor on my resulting book, Public Enemies, but I got a lot of stick from people who were like, how dare you do that?"

"I think the whole point of being an artist is to explore and challenge things that are uncomfortable. The camera gives you this amazing privilege to be in other people's lives. The skinheads were so symbolic of a particular political viewpoint but I wanted to go beyond that and to get as close as possible."

In 1990, a photojournalist transitioned from music photography into a two-year investigation of the rising neo-Nazi skinhead movement in Britain, including bands like Skrewdriver and the Blood and Honour movement. What began as a magazine concept evolved into the book Public Enemies and a documentary. The project presented significant moral, ethical, and physical dangers. The photographer maintained honesty with subjects about intentions while not sharing their political views, working with a Jewish publisher and editor despite criticism. The core motivation was exploring uncomfortable subjects and connecting with humanity beyond stereotypes. The photographer witnessed intense violence, riots, and hateful environments while documenting events like unauthorized neo-Nazi concerts in unexpected locations, maintaining a commitment to understanding extremism without condoning it.

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