This week I photographed Caroline in the garden of a house in which she has lived for many years. She won’t mind me saying that the house is in a poor state of repair. It’s a great looking building though and a beautiful garden.
Like many people in my Ages project, she spoke about gaining body confidence later in life and about how she’d felt shamed for her looks while younger. I guess the remaining sense of body shame may be a limit on the numbers of younger people who will get involved – not yet having shaken that off.
I really enjoy working with all of the participants, there is though something I enjoy more photographing people of a similar age to me. There’s an affinity, our skins have been exposed to life for a similar length of time.
I stared at the sea for ages, watching to see if it’d be in a mood to let me in safely… It seemed to suggest it might be, but as is often the case, I misread its beaconing waves. It near spat me out, but I have learned enough by now that I can get out fairly unscathed.
And now, the clouds have parted and the sun is warming my naked body as much as the keen breeze is chilling me. As is so often the case, it’s a day for being alive – naked by the sea, in the sun, in the wind. And no one else seems to have agreed with that idea – I have this late June day on Brighton beach pretty much to myself.
Brighton beach
I have just written a brief note, a health warning, to a friend who would like to take part in my Ages project. I don’t know how old she is, 50s I guess.
My warnings now are still a reminder that it’s recognisable, naked images on the internet. But more than that, they are that the project may make you think, and perhaps more than expected.
One of the participants recently said “I thought I could just write some stuff and be ok ….but …damn it….. you made me think lots…(which is a good thing) a muscle i haven’t flexed in a while…so i want to contribute in an honest and truthful way x”
Being involved will draw out feelings, memories and expectations and fears for our futures and our nows. Generally, that is a good thing and especially longer term. Shorter term though, and especially for people who are already dealing with lots of unresolved issues, it can be a tougher ride.
There’s a bit of conflict for me with the project now. Ideally, I want people to write about their now, pretty much at the same time the images are taken. But in a couple of cases, the process of taking the photos and reflecting on that and about their lives, some the participants have needed more time.
And, of course, that’s the most important thing and something for me to note – the participants are the project as much as my ideas about it and the images. If I painted I’d need to work with paint as the material as working against it makes a mess. With images and creations drawn from people, the artful part for me is to work with their needs, worries, ideas, inspirations, laughter and so on.
My values include avoiding doing harm, and trying to be caring, to always try to draw the breeze towards creativity. Ages started with me, with talking with Titch, and perhaps it’ll keep growing – in what ever way it grows.
My Ages project is getting going, 4 pages ready now and one not far off. As always, working with new people and ones I don’t know well, is brilliant. Its a great joy to me to be so trusted with people’s thoughts, their desires, fears and anxieties and their bodies. It’s interesting to me that even in the short time that I have been doing them, there has been significant change in the life of one of the participants.
Its also been good that being involved has enthused some people with all sorts of thoughts and ideas for future projects.
Censorship on Instagram continues to wind me up, but at least with one of the images from Ages of Eva as a mermaid, the censoring was just to cover her nipples with some fairly apt clam shells.
Phil Pool - Art and Protest 