The inspiration behind these photographs and book was a
Total Quality Management manual that belongs to my uncle published by the coal
board. Whilst a nationally relevant document, it summarises the South Yorkshire
Coal industry through my Uncle and the local area.
I wanted to capture the quirks, beauty and working-class
aspect that can be seen in and around Barnsley. I chose to photograph the
highstreets within South Yorkshire because I felt that these places have a lot
of character which you wouldn't see anywhere else in the world. They emulate
the fastidiousness and calm resilience of mining towns and the identities
within them. The photographs are not literal. They are abstract compositions
exploring the energy of these environments. In some I learnt that I could make
portraits, others reveal meaning through the juxtaposition of different visual
elements. This to me is something that should be celebrated. Public transport
became an essential tool for me when it came to photographing the high streets
that we all benefit from. It is a future that I imagine for these places as
they evolve. Seeing through the dirty, deprived angry legacies to reveal the
character that emerges as unique, collective and caring. In many ways not what
they have a reputation for. This is leading onto a bigger photographic project
to explore the Highstreet across South Yorkshire.
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