Nexus
Robin Crosby, John Williams, Daisy O'Neill
The point of connection between two or more things is known as a nexus. This exhibition brings together three artists whose work explores the themes of family, memory, place, home and identity. These images weave a narrative that bridges the past and present, offering a deep reflection on the ties that shape our understanding of self and community. Themes of personal history, transience, and belonging are also explored, inviting viewers to reflect on the fleeting nature of time and the search for identity and connection. Through the medium of photography, Nexus examines the intricate fabric of the human experience.
Infinite Retrospection
John Williams
Following 2019’s “Nine”, an exploration of the relationship between the artist and his father, "Infinite Retrospection" continues to explore the themes of home, family, memory, and childhood, bridging the past and present through a series of images that explore what it means to belong, to remember, and to embrace the past and present.
The photographs capture the notion of home not only as the physical space we inhabit, but the objects contained within it, and the colours, textures, and memories associated with it, exploring home as a state of mind, reflecting the complexities, and sometimes contradictions that come with it.
Through self-reflection and reminiscence, these photographs suggest that memory is not static, that memories are fluid, often influenced by our emotions and the perspectives we hold, and the associations we make with places, objects, and people from our past and the memories they evoke.
These images are deeply nostalgic and encourage a dialogue between the past and the present, inviting us to reflect on how our childhood memories continue to inform our identities.
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Roots
Daisy O'Neill
This photographic work illustrates the intersection between home and nature. Questioning what home truly means, the project embodies a series of landscapes - ‘homescapes’ perhaps. The photographer invites viewers to explore the places that hold deep significance in her life and the lives of her extended family.
This reminiscence begins in the rich landscape of Ireland which has been a cornerstone of the photographer’s previous works. These images pay homage to her grandparents’ homeland, weaving a narrative of heritage. This project extends beyond Ireland to the county of East Sussex which the photographer has made her home for the last ten years. Encompassing a broader exploration of identity, place, and family, each photograph is a testament to the intricate ways these elements intertwine, shaping our understanding of home.
Her current home is the sanctuary she shares with her partner, stepdaughter and newborn baby. This safe, comfortable space and new chapter in her life brings a fresh perspective to her work, as she contemplates the role of the countryside and landscape in her child’s future.
In creating her own home and contemplating the love and security of her family's homes, the photographer has discovered the joys of nurturing a garden. The act of growing plants, herbs, fruits, and vegetables has become a metaphor for cultivating a sense of belonging and connection to the land. These images invite the viewer to examine their own definitions of home.
Interregnum
Robin Crosby
‘Interregnum’: an interval or pause between two states of being.
For many, the period between completing compulsory education and starting a first ‘proper’ job is something of a golden age: a time of opportunity and excitement, of flux and change, which offers the individual a chance to redefine, or even reinvent, themselves. It is also the moment when we start to create the connections that will sustain us through our adult lives – the surrogate families that will offer support and friendship once we have left the security of home.
The young people featured in this series are just entering into this ‘interregnum’ phase: they are beginning to question who they are - and who they may want to be - and are starting to forge identities that are not constrained by the requirements of school or career. The optimism of youth is yet to be replaced by the pragmatism of adulthood; they gaze out at us with hope and vitality - reminding older observers, perhaps, how it felt when the world was new and full of possibilities.
Robin Crosby is a fine art photographer who works exclusively with film and traditional darkroom techniques. His most recent projects use portraiture to explore notions of identity and belonging. The images for this exhibition have all been printed by the artist in his home darkroom, using Hahnemuhle fibre-based paper.
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18 Tichborne Street
Brighton
BN1 1UR
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18–27 October
Wednesday 14:00–17:00
Thursday 14:00–17:00
Friday 14:00–17:00
Saturday 11:00–16:00
Sunday 11:00–16:00