After 3 years of a degree in Fine Art – and a year of Foundation Art & Design prior – I am finally finished and ready to showcase my work, along with work by the rest of my classmates, in our degree show. My latest photographic series ‘Unnoticed’ is on display from Friday 5th June (6 pm to 9 pm) to Saturday 13th June at the Art College, Belfast Campus of Ulster University.

The ‘Unnoticed’ series documents the urban environment at night – the time I find most interesting, both socially and visually – when people return to their private lives behind closed doors. At night, the streets are quieter, the lights are stronger, the alleys are darker and the atmosphere is moodier – there is a mysterious air of uncertainty that I find very intriguing.  I like to convey isolation and loneliness in the city despite the fact that so many people live in the city. The idea of feeling stranded and alone in a densely populated area is a contradiction that really interests me.

4 images from my series ‘Unnoticed’ printed on high quality A1 paper.

24 inch monitor alongside the 4 prints

Each scene has a stark contrast between light and dark, where the light’s purpose is to illuminate areas of interest and to imply movement and activity, within a shroud of darkness. The images present light in a variety of colours, each of which offer different connotations, for example, I illustrate the comparison between the warm domestic light and the cold foreign light. The cold white light adds a sense of mystery and the feeling of the uncanny, often insinuating a supernatural or paranormal force as opposed to something welcoming. This is a perception or convention influenced by TV and film.

The 24 inch HD monitor displays the entire ‘Unnoticed’ series on a continuous loop

Through the structural composition, colourful array of lights and cinematic quality of each scene, I try to find the beauty in the conventionally ugly and neglected parts of the city that are hidden away from the hustle and bustle of the city centre, while maintaining the somewhat unsettling, melancholic mood that these scenes evoke. I aim to photograph locations that are nondescript – absent of signage and recognisable buildings – to generalise the architecture in the scene, which allows the viewer to relate the imagery to any place they have experienced with similar architecture. In other words, the settings are relatable, not recognisable. I like to photograph the dark underbelly of the city, from which I can then stage, enhance and manipulate certain aspects of those photographs to portray psychological issues and emotional states that are insinuated within the dejected environment and unsettling nature of each scene.

There is some amazing work on display in this year’s degree show, including paintings, drawings, photography, projections and sculptures. The work looks even better in reality and needs to be seen and experienced in person to really appreciate the talent of each student. The exhibition runs for over a week so there is plenty of times to come and see the exhibition. I hope you can make it!