Midland Arts and Culture Magazine - Register.ie

Midland Arts and Culture Magazine | WINTER 2010/2011The 47-year-old explained: “I dolike living in the Midlands… Iwouldn’t particularly want to live inthe west. I don’t particularly want asea view and I think the reason forthat is I don’t want people alwayssaying ‘isn’t it absolutely fantastichere, isn’t it an amazing view,aren’t the mountains lovely’. Youhave that fantastic seascape andthat ever changing sky but whilethose are always very nice things Ithink it can be hard to find yourselfoften in those places or often it’shard to find the things to look atwithout being directed by others.“It is easier for me to find myown pace here in the Midlands andfind what it is that interestsme here.”And with his new project, to becompleted in March 2011, it wouldseem that he will be drawing evenmore inspiration from the Midlands– past and present.Currently Tim, as part of thePerCent for Arts Scheme, hasbeen commissioned by WestmeathCounty Council to produce a pieceof work on the history of WestmeathCounty Council housing.For the project he intends tophotograph the exterior of councilhouses within Westmeath (excludingAthlone) and then do a series ofinterviews with people connectedto county council social housing.“I have started the project,” saidTim. “I have done maybe 10interviews with people and atpresent am sort of taking a breakfrom it.”The respected travel photographerexplained that he wants tophotograph the houses towardsthe end of the winter with as fewleaves on the trees as possible tobe consistent in his photographyapproach.“I don’t particularly want peopleto notice the difference in theweather or season. I want them tonotice the difference in thehouses.”Although still in the conceptualstage Tim did say that physicallythe end product could either bea book or a portfolio of pictures.“I don’t have a complete sort ofpicture of how it will be in the endbut that it will be revealing ofcouncil housing and the peoplewho lived there and how peoplesee council housing – boththe residents and outsiders.”This is Tim’s second PerCent forArt Scheme. In 2008, he wascommissioned by Meath CountyCouncil following the refurbishmentof Kells Town Hall and asked toexplore the connection betweenthe Book of Kells and the island ofIona in Scotland.In fact, Tim has had aninterest in photographing workingenvironments for some time and in2006 he gained access to theoffices of The Irish Times in thelast month they producedthe paper from D’Olier Street.Following this, in 2008–2009 hewent on to photograph the activeworking environment of Tara MinesChefchaouen, Morocco. Tim Durham ©26