Artist Statement

DEADCENTRE (2021)

In response to the brilliant publication Edgelands by Michael Symmons Roberts and Paul Farley, I explored a visual investigation subverting their concept to focus on the town centre. In the eye of the storm of the high-street crisis, these once-booming retail centres now feel as overlooked as the edge lands once were.

Influenced by the new topography photographers, I shot the current downward transformation of my local high street in Stockton. In contrast to Lewis Baltz, who often depicted the beginning of the new, these images highlight the end of the old. We have yet to witness the end result of this downward spiral. For the people of Stockton, this series may evoke sadness for what it once was. However, as a newcomer, I am a neutral witness.

Using the glass frontages of the empty shops as a simultaneous window and mirror, we witness the emptiness on both sides without a clear delineation between the two. Details that depict the run-down nature of the retail units take centre stage to create a particular atmosphere.

Although this series depicts a specific high street, it effectively represents our country's crisis.