Lee Lawrence

My interests lie in ‘society’ and ‘community’. I build relationships with collaborators and subjects of my photography and films. I work alongside them to create photographic and filmic responses to the narratives that they share with me. The outcome is presented in the form of an audio/visual installation. Some collaborators hail from the fringes of society and the subject matter often includes challenging social problems such as homelessness, drug abuse and mental health issues. My work can provide a snapshot of lives that would often not be seen by the mainstream public and can end up being challenging and dark as well as insightful and informative. My work has ranged from plain documentation of life to more cinematic, stylised approaches involving lighting and movement. Central concerns of provoking an emotional response with an emphasis on collaboration were present and of great importance to me through this evolution of styles. There seems to be a distinction in the representational mediums that I choose to use. Photography satisfies with instant gratification while the process of making film and editing is a slower and more considered process allowing me to ruminate, abstract and evolve the footage I have shot. These different processes let me express and output work at a different rate. This method is fundamental in keeping my practice moving forward. I take my inspiration from varied and diverse sources. Roger Ballen and film makers such as Harmony Corinne, Joshua Oppenheimer and Yorgos Lanthimos keep me wanting to create images. Their work is often of a stylised nature but always seeks to engage emotion before intellect. Using imagery that is both provocative and attractive and is what I share with these artists and the idea of being repelled and drawn at the same instance is an area I will give further examination. My current need to search for what to represent in the frame and how it is portrayed there, is what is defining and vital about my practice. The need to commune with others and provide platforms for lesser known narratives will continue.