Delicate
Raised in Coventry, my work has been influenced by both city life and how this dictates and influences the development of society. I have slowly developed a traditional documentary style that seeks to pull the viewer into a world possibly unknown to themselves. I will be continuing to build on my body of work to present to galleries.
The balaclava has been used as a symbolic representation of criminal activity for decades: due to it being synonymous with that of a tool used to commit a crime. We all know what a balaclava is. By trivialising an accessory associated with crime (for example, seeing one on a washing line) it could be understood that the object that makes us see a person as a criminal is the balaclava: without it the person under the mask is just an average citizen.
It’s the juxtaposition between the harsh nature (which is the considered scenario – the bank robbery, the violent assault…) and the mundane object (the mask).
The theme of criminal activity is one close to my heart: growing up in a city environment I am exposed to it daily. I wanted to show a deeper understanding of the culture behind crime. Within this series I have explored the idea of faceless criminals and how the balaclava is the one constant in criminal activity, no matter the crime or criminal the balaclava is always present. As a ‘tool of the trade’ I want these images to be thought provoking – encouraging the viewer to ask ‘Why?’
