The greatest inspiration to my art practice for many years has been Häxan: Witchcraft throughout the Ages. The influences of this 1922 Danish faux documentary film have run deep throughout most of my photographic work in recent years, however no other work has been influenced as profoundly as The Black Mass Collection. I used Häxan as the first stepping stone into my idea generation in constructing the aesthetic of the collection. 'The Black Mass' is a key scene in the film, one which caused horror and outrage upon the film's release, being heavily censored in most countries and banned entirely in others. The Satanic Mass is a horrific concept, negative prayer, sacrifice of unbaptised infants and animal offerings, sexual wrongdoing and above all, worship of the ultimate adversary to good, The Devil. I have never shied away from invoking a negative reaction from the audiences of my work. I embrace disgust, hatred and disapproval, in fact I get the most satisfaction from these reactions because they confirm to me that what I have created is both effective and impacting those who view the work. Witchcraft throughout the Ages is inspiration, not solely in topic, but in the reactions it evoked in the greater public sphere in which it was released.