The Estate

The word 'estate' suffers bad press. In the urban environment there's a whole bunch of assumptions that folks who don't live on estates carry around. Folks who do live on estates carry a few too - but there's nothing like living in a place to get a clearer view. In the country the word 'estate' brings another set of notions - beauty, nature, harmony and National Trust Gift Shops.
Both uses carry the sense of estate as relating to an area, a territory in which 'this is how things are'. When I'm cycling home and I get to the river I always feel a sense of relief as I pedal into South London. And I get the same feeling when I arrive on The Estate.

As If From Behind A Tree

After picking up a secondhand walkabout zoom lens in town I stop off in the park behind Vauxhall Cross to try it out, snapping trees while standing on top of a hillock. As I cycle away two plain clothes coppers stop me and want to know why I'm taking photographs of trees. They think that taking photographs of trees is suspicious behaviour and want to see my photographs. I show them my photographs of trees. They take my details and leave me with a stop/search record stating their reason for suspicion being "Seen taking photographs in Spring Gardens as if from behind a tree".
Re-assuring to know the Metropolitan Police Service is keeping tabs on the artistic development of my photographic practice.

A Twisted Type of Silver

Got to show my work as part of a group show at 5th Base Gallery off Brick Lane.
It's hard to be objective about it but I think I would have enjoyed seeing it as a punter, but as it was I got to combine two earlier prints alongside a short film. The other work in the show was all quite intriguing and thoughtful. The text from the show is below.
Big thanks to Jack and Owen who worked super hard putting it all together.

Martin Dixon – Love is Space & Time (i,ii,iii)

Jack Hirons – 3kg of Hay

Jack Hirons – On the Window

Ewa Malgoratza Lachowicz – Collection of Portraits

Owen Lewis – She Never Lost The Things She'd Forgotten

Helena Oliveira – Part of What a Picture is

Frida Petersson – There's a crack in everything, that's how the light gets in

Poppy Roy – The Album Title Was Left Blank