DOGMA85

“The fascination in the technicality of sound was never a driving force for me. It was always, how does this music make me feel?”

In a world obsessed with digital perfection, clean algorithms, and endless technical clutter, legendary record producer Nick Patrick offers a refreshing return to what actually matters: pure emotional reality.

We had the absolute honor of sitting down with Arlene in her studio for a deep dive into her legendary career. She opens up about the childhood loss that shaped her, the "Creative Vandal" energy of founding Hot Gossip, and what it was really like on the sets of the world’s most iconic music videos.

Whether you know her from the West End, Strictly, or those era-defining MTV videos, this interview is a masterclass in trusting your instincts and never giving up.

Watch the full interview here:

DOGMA85 is a London-based independent film and content studio dedicated to exploring the stories of artists and creative individuals. Follow and subscribe to support our work.

"I remembered a figure I first saw in Dominica when I was only four years old; it was an image that always stuck in my mind. I combined that memory with the tensions of the time—the attitudes of the police and the government toward the Notting Hill Carnival. There were constant efforts to stop the celebration because, to some, seeing Black people taking control and having a good time looked 'un-British'. Because I didn't have a studio then, I made a 'cartoon'—a trial drawing—out of necessity. I used brown paper bags, Sellotape, and a Pritt Stick to work out the perspective of the figure surrounded by a sea of police. I didn't want to waste expensive canvas if it didn't turn out right, but when I finished that trial, I looked at it and thought, 'My goodness'."

We visited the studio of British painter Ben Johnson for an in-depth conversation about architecture, geometry, and the lifelong pursuit of precision in painting. Known for his highly detailed cityscapes and architectural works, Johnson has spent decades redefining how the built environment can be translated into paint through structure, proportion, and colour. In this studio interview, Ben Johnson reflects on his early education in the 1960s, the influence of Bauhaus philosophy, German Expressionism, and his move away from abstraction toward architecture as subject matter. He discusses deconstructing photographs, rebuilding images through geometric grids, and why his work has often been misunderstood as photorealism. Johnson speaks candidly about independence, rejecting commissions, and key moments in his career, including exhibitions at the ICA, encounters with architects such as James Stirling, and the creation of monumental cityscapes like Liverpool. He also explores the role of city planning, community, and how paintings can act as catalysts for discussion about society and the future of cities. The conversation moves into spirituality, Islamic geometry, the Alhambra, trauma, memory, and how painting became a form of therapy and reconstruction. From meticulous craft to moments of stillness and reflection, this interview offers a rare and intimate look at one of Britain’s most distinctive contemporary painters.