The Banner of Globalisation
A lot of my photomontage work examines the concept of globilisation. The word has attracted much currency over the past 10 years. I remember being bemused when I first heard it used in connection with the relationship between rich and poor countries. It has many ways of being used; I believe it is one of those words that conspires to give a favourable gloss to something which is fundamentally unjust. Some would have us believe that it is the process whereby wealth trickles through to poor countries from rich countries. In reality I think globalisation involves the suppression of millions in pursuit of the needs of ‘free markets’. My photographic work around globalisation discusses and attempts to expose this free market suppression masquerading under the banner of globalisation. We do live in a ‘global village’ but it is compounded by inequalities designed to suppress organised labour and basic freedoms.
'Across the River'. Photomontage 2012
Headgear
Man with head luggage. Chittagong, Bangladesh 2010
Dhaka street. Bangladesh 2010
Walking Down Brick Lane
Lady walking down Brick Lane. London 1985
Man walking down Brick Lane. London 1985
Young girl walking down Brick Lane. London 1985
Two men walking down Brick Lane. London 1983
Hanging about on Brick Lane
Two women on Brick Lane. London 2000
Crowd on Brick Lane. London 2002
Three women on Brick Lane. London 2006
Self Portraits
During the 1980’s and into the 1990’s I used to photograph the various mobilisations against Nazi groups who had decided the top of Brick Lane belonged to them. Sometimes there was just a handfill of protestors and on other occasions a huge counter demonstration. The BNP disappeared from the top of Brick Lane following a number of encounters with anti racists in the early 1990’s. Up until that time the police always protected the Nazis space and arrested protestors.
The occasion for these photographs was following a number of racist attacks in the area. As the National Front sold their newspapers on Sunday a few anti racists decided to stand next to paper sellers and hand out anti racist leaflets. This was not allowed by the police who said the National Front had their own pitch where exclusively they could sell their nasty racist publications. Any protestors who stood near the National Front would be moved on or, as happened on this occasion, arrrested. A few seconds after these photographs were taken myself and the woman in the photograph were arrested and taken to seperate cells in Bethnal Green Police station. The desk sargeant who took our details before we were incarcerated never took my camera from me; consequently I was able to take the following pictures. I was kept in the cell for a couple of hours and then released without charge. Fortunately I was able to kill time by photographing the various thoughts of former prisoners inscribed on the walls of the cell.
leafleting against the National Front shortly before my arrest. Brick Lane, London 1985 (Bishopsgate Institute collection)
Photographing the National Front shortly before my arrest. Brick Lane, London 1985 (Bishopsgate Institute collection)
Graffiti on the cell wall, Bethnal Green Police Station. London 1985 (Bishopsgate Institute collection)
Graffiti on the cell wall, Bethnal Green Police Station. London 1985 (Bishopsgate Institute collection)
Graffiti on the cell wall, Bethnal Green Police Station. London 1985 (Bishopsgate Institute collection)
Graffiti on the cell wall, Bethnal Green Police Station. London 1985 (Bishopsgate Institute collection)
Cell toilet, Bethnal Green Police Station. London 1985 (Bishopsgate Institute collection)
Self portrait, Bethnal Green Police Station. London 1985 (Bishopsgate Institute collection)
Self portrait, Bethnal Green Police Station. London 1985 (Bishopsgate Institute collection)
