OUTSIDER
This work attempts to address the conflict and complexities that I feel between my personal identity and national heritage as a white British citizen.
This work attempts to address the conflict and complexities that I feel between my personal identity and national heritage as a white British citizen.
Growing up in a country where national pride and patriotism have unequivocal ties to xenophobia, it is sometimes difficult to share a sense of belonging. Coupled with a complicated imperial history, calling this place home can be a hard pill to swallow. This is especially prevalent when our governing representatives seem to increasingly isolate our quaint isle from our neighbours. These differing values have subsequently left me feeling estranged from a portion of the populace; one that would still maintain that their favourite foods and drinks are those appropriated from distant cultures.
Growing up in a country where national pride and patriotism have unequivocal ties to xenophobia, it is sometimes difficult to share a sense of belonging. Coupled with a complicated imperial history, calling this place home can be a hard pill to swallow. This is especially prevalent when our governing representatives seem to increasingly isolate our quaint isle from our neighbours. These differing values have subsequently left me feeling estranged from a portion of the populace; one that would still maintain that their favourite foods and drinks are those appropriated from distant cultures.
With this in mind, I have adopted the tropical trees that commonly inhabit English gardens on the South Coast as my musing for these photographs. I have paired images of my encounters with these trees alongside images of a potted Yucca tree that I had taken with me and placed in the landscape. One might expect to see a juxtaposition between the obscure placement of one and the presupposed position of another, but in reality we are just looking upon photographs of exotic trees. The Yuccas displacement mirrors that of my own feelings and yet somehow demonstrates an overarching impression of belonging, regardless of provenance.
With this in mind, I have adopted the tropical trees that commonly inhabit English gardens on the South Coast as my musing for these photographs. I have paired images of my encounters with these trees alongside images of a potted Yucca tree that I had taken with me and placed in the landscape. One might expect to see a juxtaposition between the obscure placement of one and the presupposed position of another, but in reality we are just looking upon photographs of exotic trees. The Yuccas displacement mirrors that of my own feelings and yet somehow demonstrates an overarching impression of belonging, regardless of provenance.