March 2013
After time away from photographing people and their lives, I am returning to documentary photography and the recording of personal stories with a new project entitled Poppies.
As we approach the centenary of World War I, I am dedicating Poppies to the women of all wars. We are also approaching the centenaries of the creation of both the Flanders Field poppy poem and the time when two women created the notion of the poppy being forever a symbol of peace and remembrance. Poppies has been granted support and funding by Arts Council England, a long-time supporter of my work on contemporary women’s issues.
The Poppies project will symbolise the stories of the women in times of war, and combine a portrait series of the women affected by war alongside a botanical series of the cornfield poppy in its natural environments. Each year thousands of women suffer as a result of war, and their stories are often lost behind the bigger stories from the battlefront. The poppy flower, despite its delicate appearance, is able to grow, as a sign of new life where everything else has been destroyed.
A selection of photographic portraits will be launched as part of a major exhibition for Remembrance Weekend in November 2014 at the Murray Edwards College, University of Cambridge. The exhibition will then be available to tour other interested venues as required.
I became inspired with the idea for the project after working with women in Freetown, Sierra Leone in West Africa, who shared their experiences of being caught up in one of the most brutal civil wars in recent history. Through these stories, perhaps I can convey an optimistic message of hope and peace. Working with the women of Sierra Leone I am continually struck by the sheer hope that many of these women possess, despite what they have been through, the hope that life for them will one day be better. It is very powerful. I believe that these stories, however painful or indeed inspirational, should be recorded in some way.
Affected further by how war impacts on women, directly or indirectly and its consequences, I went on to photograph other women of Freetown involved in war, and throughout the UK such as pilot Joy Lofthouse who flew Spitfires and Hurricanes for the Air Transport Association during World War II.
I have also begun a very important local angle to Poppies, focusing on the stories of war and conflict that have affected women living in Hull and the East Riding of Yorkshire, my home patch. This smaller project is called I Remember …. and was inspired by Iris Newbould who served as a Land Army Girl during World War II, and who wrote a beautiful poem about what the poppy symbol means to her. Images from I Remember … will go on show at branches of the Hull Libraries throughout 2014, sponsored by the James Reckitt Library Trust.
It is a challenge for any woman affected by war to talk about her experience, let alone share her story in a public way, but I hope that some women would be willing to talk to me and agree to be photographed, even anonymously if they wish. With their courage, involvement and their wish to speak out, I hope Poppies will continue to grow.
Francess
Iris
Poppy, East Riding of Yorkshire
