So Much Past

As the child of a foster parent, my life has been shaped and informed by an ever-changing family unit. This experience lies at the heart of my work.

So Much Past explores various aspects of the care system. I felt a need to seek out those in, surrounded by, involved with or working in this system. I invited carers, social workers and young people involved with foster care to respond to a series of questions, that I have found difficult to answer. The resulting portraits emerge from the dialogue between the subject and myself.

The blackboard, against which each individual is photographed, becomes layered with the remnants of others experiences, acting as a metaphor for the transient nature of the care system. The past can be wiped away, yet scratches and traces of the past still remain.

(2009)