This body of work is about childhood nostalgia. Since having my first child I have recently been contemplating my own upbringing. Dissecting it , thinking about the strong memories that remain so vivid in my mind today, the kind of memories that shape you and create identity. That bind you to a place, a time, a moment or even a smell. How can I create positive moments and memories and pass them onto my own child? Who do I want around him to shape and mould his impressionable mind? I look forward to continuing this series. Being open to experiencing a new kind of nostalgia. As he grows and finds his own autonomy, I hope to take more of a back seat approach and live vicariously through him. But until then I will try to imprint on him the things I loved whilst growing up. He'll be climbing trees, exploring rock pools, chasing rainbows, hiding under bridges, connecting and nurturing the relationships with his family, animals and the land.
‘Mono No Aware’- Mono no aware is a key term in Japanese culture. 'Mono' means 'thing' or 'things'; 'aware' means 'feeling' or sentiment, and the particle 'no' indicates something an object possesses. So mono no aware signifies the deep feeling or pathos of things, the powerful emotions that objects can evoke or instill in us.
In retrospect, I feel most of my work embodies this sentiment…These moments were full of life, colour and happiness and yet there is a sense of melancholy in my portraits. A ‘beauty tinged with sadness’.
I created this series of ‘the Allen’s’ starting around 2010. Documenting the high’s and low’s of four generations. It is an ongoing intimate series documenting the life of. Watching my son and his cousin’s grow into teenagers has been an amazing gift. I hope one day they can look back and see what an extraordinary life they lead and how special they were to me.
I started this passion project in the late 90’s. It has turned into quite a large and extensive body of work over two decades.
There’s no real message here. Just me. Documenting many years growing up around punks, goths and weirdos. Shooting what I saw in front of me. At a young age I was drawn to the punk scene. Influenced by a deep connection and a desire not to fit in but a desperate need to find like minded people. On this journey, I found a solid crew. This documents our escapades.
As I reach my forties, I look back and hope this series of work celebrates the passion and connection I felt during this time. The amazing people I met along the way and still know to this day. I’m rooting for my friends who chose to overcome hardship and keep trying everyday to better themselves.
St Peters Park, Sydney, Australia
This project was shot in the early to mid 2000’s on my first digital camera. (An Olympus C50-60) It is an ode to growing up in Wollongong. A visual diary of a time and a place.
‘If you don’t stand for something, you’ll fall for anything’ -Alexander Hamilton
Rallies-
BLM.
Free Palestine.
Don’t kill live Music.
