Work In Progress: Coastline
"The loneliness you get by the sea is personal and alive. It doesn't subdue you and make you feel abject. It's stimulating loneliness."
Anne Morrow Lindbergh (American writer and aviation pioneer, 1906-2001)
Since an early age, I've always had a fascination with the sea. Perhaps it was because I grew up in the Midlands, away from the coast, in the centre of England. My immediate reality as a child consisted of looming tower blocks and busy motorways.
I've always felt attracted to the coast. There I can escape what I know, what I am thinking and who I am. It reminds me that nothing is too important and yet that anything is possible. Looking out to sea brings me back to the transitory nature of life, all my problems can disappear and I feel humbled.
I have recently moved to the south of England on what I see to be an exploratory mission to discover a new perspective to my country. My partner is French, so naturally I am finding a second home across the Channel in France. This particular coastline fascinates me as I see it as the isolating barrier that separates me from there.
Having spent a lot of time abroad over recent years, I have become interested in rebuilding my relationship with England. I have heard many criticisms about the current state of English affairs, "England is declining and is no longer a healthy environment to live", "it's losing its cultural identity to progress and immigration".
But I am more hopeful and feel the need to defend my home country. Admittedly, it is a very different place from how it was 30 years ago, but it's undeniable that there is still much to be proud of.
With these thoughts in mind, I set out to see how my country has evolved since I left and how I can interpret some of these changes with my camera.
I decided to concentrate my attention on the southern coast. I plan to photograph it from one end to the other, in order to give an in-depth impression of the whole coastline. Through photography, I intend to express my own nostalgic vision and feelings of isolation as well as rediscover my lost love for England, all over again.