I have a longstanding interest in the relationship between heritage and photography. This subject formed the focus of my doctoral research, and I continue to explore the intersections of these fields through writing and visual practice. The below galleries provide some examples of this work.
More recently I have become interested in the non-human dimensions of photography, and have contributed a chapter on this theme for the forthcoming publication Heritage Ecologies (edited by Þóra Pétursdóttir and Torgeir Rinke Bangstad).
Analogue Angkor
A selection of images taken during fieldwork in Cambodia using my trusty Canon AE-1 camera. An attempt to explore slow production in the face of the flood of digital images now produced at the site every day.
Memory Spaces
These images were produced during a tour of Normandy with my father in which we followed my grandfathers route across Northern Europe in the aftermath of D-Day. The photographs attempt to convey the grandeur and mundanity of different memory spaces, ranging from carefully laid out cemeteries to run down streets in the towns he passed through. Our route was dictated by hastily written notes found in my grandfathers own war diary.
Fragments of Cyprus
A small selection of images from fieldwork carried out in Cyprus as part of my doctoral research. I was particularly drawn to the frayed edges of the historic urban environments I encountered on this trip, along with the peculiar assemblages that often populate these spaces.
EUR, Rome
A strangely neglected corner of Rome, originally planned by Mussolini as the site of the 1942 world’s fair. Includes the stunning Palazzo della Civiltà Italiana (also known as the Square Colosseum), designed by Giovanni Guerrini, Ernesto Lapadula and Mario Romano, and now the international headquarters of fashion brand Fendi.
New Camelot
The Excalibur Estate in South London was built between 1945 and 1946 by German and Italian prisoners of war. These pre-fab temporary houses were only supposed to last around ten years, but many were still occupied when I visited in 2013, shortly before demolition of the site was due to begin. A high profile campaign is still ongoing to save the Estate from redevelopment. Whilst others have sought to show the human life of such estates, I wanted to try and evoke the slightly sinister atmosphere I encountered when visiting. After all, why should we not try and save places that are dark and brooding?
Colin Sterling 