A Dead Man In Deptford incorporates members of the community of Deptford and their views on the impending threat of gentrification, whilst concurrently portraying my own journey in coming to terms with this pivotal moment in the transformation of my birthplace. Like the processes I use to capture my subjects, the images reiterate a romantic fascination with the past, a want to preserve the present and a denial of the imminent. The series takes on a rhythmic nature, which echoes the process of making the work and the journey of self-reflection. The photographs guide us through the industry and energy that characterizes and identifies Deptford, presenting us with the market, local businesses and the Arts, as well as the juxtaposition between the developing and the decaying.
Overall, the work does suggest something about the unholy union of money and local government. In this sense Deptford is a microcosm for the gentrification that has and is about to take place throughout London in the 21st century.
The project was conceived from a personal desire to respond to the planned billion-pound development of Convoys Wharf, therefore the view of Deptford is entirely my own and never pretends to attain the truth of documentation. It is of importance that my presence is always merely suggested but never confirmed.