In Positions and Practice, I explored the concept of memory and my family and the archives of photos I had inherited. Many of these photographs are taken at the seaside, a subject fixed in my subconscious. Many of these pictures are made on the east coast of Yorkshire in the UK. My parents had been brought up in Cottingham, a village near Hull, so these destinations were popular due to their easy access. I decided to explore these locations, Whitby, Bridlington and Filey being the most popular and photograph the places and people. I hope to connect the contemporary with the archive images.
Bridlingtpn Sea Front- Image by Author
This particular image out of the many hundreds in the archive has influenced me the most. It is a picture of my grandfather (who I never met) carrying my mother and a little boy (who I do not know of). They are paddling in the sea, and the photographer has managed to blur the image which I'm sure wasn't intentional. This blur, for me, introduces a second dimension to the photograph. The movement and consequential blur enforce the sense of the past, of memories, known only to those present. It is interesting that this photograph, although blurred, has been kept in the archive.
Picture of my Mother and sibling carried on their Fathers back - Image by unknown