Summer Sunset is a delightfully small, wickedly fun festival held in September. Set in an idyllic wooded glade an hour away from London by train or car, the festivities last for 24 hours and include a feast from a Michelin-starred chef, some brilliant bands, a night of amazing DJs, a Sunday of acoustic music, and the midnight burning of a wicker, horned beast – a celebration designed to tear the curtain down on your summer.
Philip Volkers, who documented the event in these photos, was born 6th September 1980 and grew up in the Wiltshire countryside. After Sherborne School he studied Philosophy and Comparative Religion, obtaining his degree from The School of Oriental and African Studies. Philip has travelled extensively in India, the Middle East and the United States. He is a Licenciate of The Royal Photographic Society and last year he received the inaugural Jeff Vickers / Genix Bursary for aspiring young talent. Philip’s latest work was covering Summer Sunset.
Also The Artful Badger aka Badger Badger plays at Summer Sunset.
Philip served his apprenticeship as first assistant to Robert Fairer in his backstage work for American Vogue on the collections in Paris, Milan and London.
Philip’s own work includes commercial and high fashion, celebrity portraits, extreme sports and social reportage. Inspired by nature and radical self-expression, his style is playful and fantastical, sometimes shocking, deconstructing the subject to reveal its true nature.
If you want to go to Summer Sunset you have to be on top of your game because the location is unknown and only 500 tickets are sold. Or in their words:
“We are small and we want to stay that way. If you’d like to find out where the summer sun sets, buy a ticket and we’ll send you details. But hurry, tickets are limited and they sell fast.”
