A Portrait of Isolation
This is the first printing of my new self published book. First print run now shipping.
A Portrait of Isolation was planned quickly in the first days of the Covid-19 lockdown. In an age where we remember our lives through the pages of a smart phone picture library, this project was conceived to create a physical artefact of the time, a reminder of the people and places affected by the pandemic.
Working within the constraints set by the government every participant lived within walking distance of my home.
As I did not feel comfortable making money from a project that has affected the lives of so many people, 100% of the proceeds of this book (not just profits) will be donated locally to the Harrogate Hospital & Community Charity (the only exception is that the postage costs will unfortunately have to be given to Royal Mail in order to deliver the book to you).
Shot in Harrogate over two months during the strictest phase of lockdown.
Strange times
In March 2020 the world changed very quickly. Just one month before I was in San Francisco having a great time in very normal circumstances. By the end of that month the idea of being thousands of miles away from home felt scary and dangerous.
I made this book because I wanted to remember this strange time and show the real people from a place that is very real to me, my home town of Harrogate.
Over the course of several months I went out to take a picture of people enjoying their one hour of daily permitted exercise. Some people came alone, some with their children, some with their partners and some with their dogs.
Other than to say hello, I did not interact with the people who posed for me, tell them how or where to stand.
At the same time we also witnessed a change in the built environment of the town. Barriers went up and signage adorned the doors and walls of business premises.
The people and the places all belonging to a small town in Yorkshire have been captured here and preserved for the future.
I remember the power of the many bound photo albums my parents kept in the sideboard. They took me back to moments in the past, even moments from before I was born. My hope is that this book takes a place on the bookshelves of people who relate and helps us to remember.
