Richard Heep's vibrant photography is displayed in the exhibition Man's Ruin, and concentrates on his relationship with Cambridgeshire and East Anglia - from its flat Fen landscapes to the influence of America on this area.

Abigail Saltmarsh

Richard Heep's vibrant photography is displayed in the exhibition Man's Ruin, and concentrates on his relationship with Cambridgeshire and East Anglia - from its flat Fen landscapes to the influence of America on this area.

His work exploits the virtues of colour photography to the full, and is hand-printed from negative as C-type prints in “full frame,” which gives a distinctive ragged edge-look.

Each image has hints at an underlying narrative, and draws comparisons with the landscapes and people of East Anglia and America.

He explained: “I have pursued a wide range of projects exploiting the virtues of colour photography. There is often a narrative behind my images, where I try to reflect my love and empathy for my subject matter.”

Man's Ruin, the exhibition title, is taken from the tattoo flash of American artist Sailor Jerry.

It draws together a selection of images, which tells the story of the spirit and pursuit of the American dream. The subject matter is stylish, glamorous and hedonistic.

Portraits, interiors, images of burlesque, hot rods, dragsters and custom cars all feature; from Santa Pod, a dragstrip in Bedfordshire England, and burlesque performers in Hollywood, California, to Scunthorpe in Lincolnshire.

Richard Heeps has been photographing hot rods, hot girls and Americana in the UK and the USA for over 10 years.

His images capture the vibrancy of contemporary scenes inspired by the 1940s and 1950s and they pay tribute to mid-century modern life, as it is lived today.

t Richard Heeps, Norwich Arts Centre, today until Saturday, June 14, free admission, 01603 660352, www.norwichartscentre.co.uk