South Beach is a self-portrait visualising my experience of living with ADHD, and how that influences my photographic practice. As I navigate everyday situations, my eyes constantly scan my surroundings which creates ‘after images’ in my visual perception that are exacerbated by motion. To convey this visual chaos I have created a visual language using composited black and white images to communicate the mental overload I perceive. Each image starts as a series of dozens of photos taken while navigating a situation which are used to create a composite image of my experience.
As a visual artist my creative practice is rooted in my love of photography, capturing images that evoke a reaction in the viewer. It started with my first camera – a Kodak 110 instamatic – progressing through 35mm to Polaroids and 120mm film; ‘going digital’ while lecturing at university in the 1990s using Apple’s QuickTake and the Kodak/Nikon DCS. My creative practice uses a bewildering combination of film cameras, instant cameras and digital equipment to capture my images then I experiment with different printing, media, mounting and framing techniques to create my pieces.