Warren Du Preez and Nick Thornton Jones


Warren Du Preez and Nick Thornton Jones are a London-based photographic and filmmaking duo whose work spans fashion, film, art, scenography and music; together they form W+N Studio.

Lives and careers

Du Preez, a self-taught photographer originally from Johannesburg, arrived in London in 1989 and began shooting for magazines in 1992 with his 1st editorial for the face magazine. Thornton Jones started his career as art director, they began collaborating in the late nineties and have worked together ever since.

Fashion photography – magazines

Du Preez and Thornton Jones’ work has featured in many international fashion magazines including I-D; Visionaire; Big Magazine; Numero; V Magazine and The New York Times

Advertising campaigns

Represented by Talent and Partner in New York and Paris, they have created TV commercials for beauty, fashion and automotive clients including Lancôme; BMW; Pepé Jeans; Schweppes and Perrier Jouët. They have also photographed print campaigns for Issey Miyake; Boucheron; Cartier; Mercedes Benz; Absolut; Hermes; Thierry Mugler and Levi's.

Music

Over the last decade, the duo has worked extensively with Icelandic pop star Björk and won the cannes lions grand prix for their groundbreaking virtual reality experience NOTGET and British DJ, producer and electronic recording artist, James Lavelle and his collective UNKLE for whom they directed the music videos: Follow Me Down and The Runaway Film – both from the album Where Did the Night Fall. They also created the album art for Where Did the Night Fall and its follow-up album Another Night Out.
They have also collaborated with British trip-hop/electro group Massive Attack.

Fashions shows and scenography

In October 2007 they devised the theatrical showpiece light installation for La Dame Bleue – the SS08 show from late British fashion designer, Alexander McQueen.

Filmmaking – art projects

In 2013 Du Preez & Thornton Jones directed Erebus – a filmic response to British choreographer Russell Maliphant's staging of The Rodin Project, created in tandem with Sadler's Wells theatre, London. Initially previewed at the British Film Institute, in collaboration with gallerist Siobhan Andrews of Daydreaming Projects, the Erebus project was also exhibited as a film, series of static artworks as well as an exterior installation during London's Frieze Art Fair, 2013.
In 2017 they won the Cannes Grand Prix award for their VR project Not Get in their collaboration with Bjork with their exec producer Campbell Beaton.

Exhibitions