ORAL HISTORY ARCHIVE:
Interviewed by Richard West
Location: Artist's home, Newtownards, County Down
Date: March 2006
(Chapter 7 of 15, Running Time: 00:13:00)
Chapter 7 Synopsis:
- Enrolls in a practical photography course at the College of Art in York Street.
- Allowed to pursue documentary photography.
- Admired work of fellow student Arthur Watson who was also taking documentary photographs.
- Tutors suspicious of the sociological aspect of his work.
- Working on Sandy Row provides opportunity to observe the sectarian nature of things.
- Met Gilles Perez around this time.
- Took a lot of street photography - photograph of midwife - 'innocently politically aware'.
- Motivated by the possibility of having a show.
- Invited, along with Arthur Watson, to put on a show at the Arts Council in Bedford Street.
- Political content of show creates a lot of controversy.
- Show tours to English gallery - staff, believing gallery would be bombed, go on strike.