infoWriting in the Sand by Sirkka-Liisa Konttinen
Saturday 13th May to Sunday 2nd July 2000
Sirkka has been photographing the vibrant life on the beaches of North East England for over 25 years. The work has been developed both as an exhibition, film and a book.
The exhibition at Side Gallery coincides with the launch of her book, Writing in the Sand, published in the UK (Dewi Lewis), Finland (Kustantamo Pohvoinen), Sweden and France (Barbro Schultz).
The perfect shot eludes me. When a man with his leg in plaster hops around in a game of family cricket, using his crutch as a wicket; when a bride hitches up her hem and veil and goes for a plodge; when a skinhead moons his tattooed buttocks to a blast of belly laughs and a football team races backwards; when stilt - walkers wade into the sea like giant redshanks…. and a women turns and turns in her silent Tai-Chi - I am still pacing. The decisive moment takes place when the sun and its shadows reveal the revelries of tide and sand: in crushed silk, forests and lunar landscapes; and moves on before I stoop close enough. But I never, never regret being there.
The light on the beach, blindingly abundant, allows for the shutter speeds of a thousandth of a second, helping to make the decisive moment all the more decisive. This is a natural habitat for most kinds of camera. Mine, which strays to gaze upon other peoples antics, occasionally inspires refreshing responses. The gang of motorbike lads who charge into the sea fully clothed yelping with glee, spot me and seize my arms and legs, carefully remove my camera and swing me in too!
To view the exhibition click here
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