Alexandra Arts

One of the projects I am working on involves designing an identity for Alexandra Arts. A creative community group which uses the facilities and space within Alexandra Park to host events, meetings and workshops. This Easter the group will host a series of craft and creative workshops and therefore require an identity, flyers and a poster. I'm working with Jenny Davies on this project and our first thoughts were to take a trip down to the park and connect with the surroundings, identify the community and users of the park and just get a feel for its style, space and the facilities it offers.

The Erasure of Memory

The Jewish Galacia Museum

When in Poland we visited the Jewish Galacia Museum. There was an exhibition called 'Traces of Memory' which featured photographs by Chris Schwarz. I loved how this exhibition was curated, the layout the presentation and display and importantly the content. This photograph really stood out for me. The photography exhibition attempted to piece together the remains of an entire culture and religion almost wiped out. How time has passed and significant buildings, traditions and Jewish memories are slowly erased. The photograph below is a Lion of Judah it appears at the entrance of an abandoned synagogue in Poland. The painting of a lion was a symbol of the ideal that Jews should be as strong as lions. Full of meaning, irony and memory the photograph really communicated this erasure of Jewish culture. There are hundreds of disused and abandoned synagogues across Poland.

From the end of my nose to the tips of my toes...

Valentines Fundraiser Card and Cakes Sale

"From the end of my nose to the tips of my toes" is a quote taken from a card by Stacie who was running the fundraiser. Lots of people had contributed to the sale some of the cards were fantastic I liked Hannah Davies cards they were really beautiful and Emma Browns animals, Stacie had spent quite some time and effort on some cut-out cards. On the confectionery side of things there was a great selection including some home-made bath-bombs and some cupcake works of art. Below are a selection of my collage cards...

Auschwitz- Birkenau

So we had one day going to Auschwitz-Birkenau. I felt this huge apprehension about going as my mother had been and she couldn't go further than the gates. i was surprised at how many tourists there were for such an out of season visit. The three hour tour felt rushed and brief, there are so many stories and information to learn. I was helping my friend take notes and note statistical information which prevented me from being fully reflective about the place I was in.
I've always known that the sacrifice you make as a photographer is withdrawal. As soon as you lift the camera up to take a photograph you then psychologically step outside of the place you are in. You go from active-participant to passive observer in a second, I felt guilty taking the photographs and considering such menial thoughts like light, composition etc.
Besides that I tried at points to put myself in the position of a prisoner. Especially with these two shots - not particularity beautiful in anyway but carry such a heavy metaphor. My friend Nat was questioning chances of survival in Auschwitz, we were discussing how some people who 'gave-up' did not have anything waiting for them on the other side, we compared this situation to those driven to survive to care for others or loved ones. Some were prepared to escaped others didn't even consider it. This is what I was contemplating whilst I took these photographs (both the same photo, just a different focus.)


It seemed strange to see a cat wandering around the gates, I remember distinclty at Birkenau there are no birds, just a few trees but there is just no life. Its so vast as well, you don't really realise the scale of it all.

Krakow

The opportunity to go to Poland came when my flatmate was going over for research on her dissertation. I decided to go with her (just for two nights) to Krakow, whilst there we went around Krakow, to Auschwitz-Birkenau and to the Jewish quarter to the Galacia Jewish museum. Whilst over there I did a bit of photography I was concerned that my SLR may be affected by the cold weather, condensation/moisture but I luckily managed to avoid that with the cold temperatures! On one early morning the light was particularly beautiful. Here are a few of my favorites,