For photographer Simon Martin (previously featured here), the influence of his suburban upbringing in Sittingbourne, UK is a through-line in his practice. “Be it landscape, portraiture, fashion, or long term projects, my eye continues to be drawn back to familiar scenes; of youth trying to find an escape from boredom, boy racers in a McDonalds carpark, or a building estate at dusk,” he explains. Currently based in Gravesend, Martin’s work continues to be driven by a personal nostalgia. More recently, his practice has concentrated on the land we can access and how it enables us emotionally and physically:

“Regularly walking the Thames-side between Gravesend and Rochester during lockdown, I photographed the landscape and focused on an internal exploration of my thoughts whilst in that space, rather than going through the motions of landscape-portrait-detail,” he says. “This formula, or anything resembling that, has always been at the back of my head, ‘Am I repeating myself? Does it matter?’. I had previously thought that the subject matter was what needed to change, but for me it’s become the process. . . Looking forward, my work has been challenging me, which I’ve enjoyed greatly. Looking at familiarity, comfort; the pros and cons of this state, and how I can fabricate a story around this subject matter.”

See more from Simon Martin below!