Empty Chairs and Empty Tables

I was first struck by the weather.  These images were taken on calm days with no rain; some of them were beautiful days.  Despite this, and despite the fact that a lot of the time it was lunch time when I took the photos there was barely a soul around.  One of the venues for my project was a sustainability centre, with vast woodland and a Vegetarian Cafe near one of the tables (there were three outside in total).  Yet still  no-one sat there, preferring to drench up the sun in the confines of the café, twenty metres away.

This begs the question why?

We moan in this country about the weather; I have seen countless programs where families try out living abroad and state their children “can’t play outside in the UK”, citing this as a primary reason for moving and yet there are numerous beautiful green spaces in the UK.

This work explores that strange relationship and is a pictorial ode to the lonely benches and picnic spots of Britain.  The pictures depict sadness but also immense beauty and power.  It is a call to all of us to make the most of what is all around us.   For if we don’t, we could ultimately lose it.

The project is on going and evolving, as I find more lonely benches and tables they will be added.