Destination Unknown (Top Gun) - The Original

So that’s what we see here, Maverick has returned, he’s come back on his iconic motorbike and this is where the piece took a different turn. I have injected this underlying narrative that plays on the fact that he lost his flying partner ‘Goose’ but also the ghosts that he carries with him from his father and that’s referenced within the piece, you’ll see his dad’s crashed plane for example along with another that was fighting in Vietnam.

If you look closely at the bike, you’ll see ‘Goose’s’ partially destroyed crash helmet, so Maverick is literally carrying his ghosts around with him, as well as his baggage which is depicted through his flight holdall which is carrying all of all of his memories around with him. On first glance it just looks like a cracking way of being able to get all of those movie references in it but then there’s this underlying concept that’s much deeper and hopefully people will relate to that even if they aren’t necessarily a massive fan of the film but that the image and what it symbolises strikes a chord with them.

I’ve tried to create pictures within a picture, so if you look at Charlie’s Porsche for example, it’s just a beautiful part of the image and I absolutely love how that’s come out. When you’re watching the film and making notes it’s great to be able to get those references in there, big or small and there’s so much going on because that’s the concept, it’s him returning and all of his memories flooding back and being played out in front of him. He knows he has to go on a journey, he’s just not sure where it’s going to take him. It’s been brilliant to be involved with the piece, listening to the epic soundtrack again, it’s just been superb from day one!