VAUGHAN MELZER Photographer

 RESIDENTS of
CHETTLE COURT

1996  (b/w)
2010 (col)

 

In 1996, an improvement grant was made for Chettle Court to set up a Residents' Association and provide funding for art projects, and which named me as ‘Artist-in-Residence’. I wished to ‘record’ the wonderful variety of people who made up my neighbours and began by making conventional studio portraits in my flat. 

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The formality of the method made people shy, and inhibited a spontaneity. Recalling photographic work I had seen, of portraits made of passers-by in the street, I hired a tent, setting it up as a temporary photo-studio in the grounds of the estate, enabling full-length shots. The planned weekend was dry and sunny, and many residents came throughout the weekend. 

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I had suggested they bring something, or someone, that was important to them. To encourage spontaneity, I let my subjects decide how to place themselves in front of camera. 

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I repeated the project 14 years later, using digital colour. In 2010, there were many new people but, also plenty of residents who were part of the 1996 project.