Geoff's Crossleys images of an empty family home, redecorated ready for sale and for a new family to settle, are over-laid by forgotten snapshots taken from the same perspective, giving the viewer an immediate sense of 'then and now'. With my own photographic interest often being concerned with transience and change, on viewing the images I experienced one of Barthes's 'punctum' moments, usually denoted by a feeling of 'wish I'd done that'.
From my own experiences of house-buying and selling, I'm used to properties being decorated in a very 'neutral' style, to appeal to the widest range of viewers and so the potential buyer feels they can stamp their mark. Often this can make a house feel soul-less and impersonal, and I can really see where GC is coming from with these images
The snapshots take on poignant personal moments contrasting with the now impersonal decor of a home decorated to appeal to a wide range of buyers, and the homeliness depicted in the original snaps compared to the present state of the rooms is as if the whole slate of the history of the home had been wiped clean. It is easy to see the memories contained in those snapshots and with the viewer initially focussing on the those it is like seeing a home full of life and warmth, then as the eye moves to the present-day part of the image, it feels silent and empty.
Very powerful work, but in a subtle and understated way, I liked it a lot.
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Went on a recce to find new locations for my project, visited Reddish Vale on the periphery of the M60 motorway. A worthwhile journey as it has a lot of the feel of the 'edgelands' about it; areas or semi rural appearance with evidence of urbanity providing a backdrop. I'm sure I will be visiting several more times to explore in more detail. This is all good groundwork for what is to come.
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