This is the second instalment of this collection, with perhaps one more to come and, like all my collections, won’t really come in to its own until many years hence. However, I do like the idea that a portrait collection can be put together with one eye on the future, knowing full well that if looked after the collection should not only survive but thrive.
This long term view derives from my background in archiving which also contributes to the way the pictures are presented with the need to ground the pictures with dates and locations, titles and display information. Perhaps, to some, there is too much information but I want these portraits to be unequivocal.
I also want them to be recognised a works of collaboration, that give voice to the subject and let them say, in this era of sharing and mass communication, what needs to be said and to ensure they have an element of control.
The cyclists of Ealing is my first and most advanced collection. I chose it because cyclists are reasonably confident people and the idea can be easily sold as a celebration of cycling, but it’s more than that. It’s an examination of us and a celebration of people.
Martin Sapsed Photography 