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Max Miechowski transports us to the nostalgic British seaside in A Big Fat Sky

What springs to mind at the mention of the British seaside? Days spent at the beach as a child? The nostalgic noises of arcade games and smells of fish and chips? Or maybe the more recent decline some of these areas have faced? All too often nowadays imagery and reportage focuses on the later, highlighting it as lesser and looked down upon. A Big Fat Sky goes against this frequent narrative, standing up for the beauty and magic the east coast of England has to offer. “Within the documentary tradition this part of the country is so often depicted as tacky or gritty, and as something to be made fun of. I wanted to paint a much softer and more delicate picture, showing that the quirkiness of the British coast is actually very beautiful.” 

With a natural flow, genuine interest, and dreamy aesthetic, the project explores the different layers of the British seaside, celebrating it and capturing the beautiful everyday. It feels like A Big Fat Sky exists in a time somewhere between the past and the present. At first, you can’t quite put your finger on when it was shot as the images are timeless and simultaneously in a dreamy world of their own. 

As well as showing the beauty of the east coast landscape, Miechowski’s body of work provides us with a visual breath of fresh air in a time where it is all too easy to feel trapped, “the coast provides a break for all of us”. Reminding us all of how beneficial it is to not only escape our hectic built up lives, but revel in childhood nostalgia with a more positive outlook. 

Miechowski shares with us the organic process in which A Big Fat Sky came about, his personal pulls to explore this part of Britain, and how he approaches and creates connections with subjects. He also hints at the unfamiliar path his next project is leading him.

What was your aim and intentions behind A Big Fat Sky?

My previous projects were focused heavily on life in London, so I was keen to mix it up a little and get out of the city. I wanted to experience the more open landscapes and the different pace of life that I was used to growing up. I decided to travel along the British east coast with the intention of revisiting holiday spots from my childhood and simply enjoying exploring this part of the country with my camera. I really like to work in this way - picking somewhere to go, and just making images. I find that ideas often come to me whilst shooting, and slowly I can begin to piece the bigger story together.

Your aesthetic and choice of colour palette hints at nostalgia and memory. Do you have a personal and emotional pull to the East Coast of Britain which drove the project?Growing up in Lincolnshire my family would often take trips to Skegness, or little holidays to the Norfolk and Yorkshire coast. My grandad also used to keep an old boat at Southwold. I don’t remember seeing it, but I have pictures of it now. I have a really early memory of a holiday to Wells-Next-The-Sea, fishing for crabs and having my first can of Dandelion & Burdock. It was definitely these memories that inspired me to visit the coast originally, and the contrasts between them and my experiences now that kept me interested in going back.

Something synonymous with the British Seaside as a whole is the idea that it is frozen in time. Both in negative and more nostalgic ways, be it become run down and overlooked or grasping onto its heyday. Your depiction of the East Coast reflects the notion of it being frozen in time, the images feel like they could have been taken today or twenty years ago almost. Was this timeless effect intentional, or organic?

I didn’t specifically intend for the images to feel timeless, but I did want them to feel different to other images I had seen on the coast. Within the documentary tradition this part of the country is so often depicted as tacky or gritty, and as something to be made fun of. I wanted to paint a much softer and more delicate picture, showing that the quirkiness of the British coast is actually very beautiful.

In comparison to London these towns and communities can feel a little like they’re frozen in time, and it may well feel that way long into the future. The coast provides a break for all of us, to get away from the city and to get some fresh air, but to also be reminded of our time as kids when things seemed a little more simple.

The British seaside and the concept of the staycation is more prominent now than ever, do you think from your experience and time spent around the coast that the influx of tourists will pose helpful or detrimental to these coastal communities?

As with the vast majority of places around the world, the global pandemic has impacted life on the East Coast in a variety of ways. Some of these are immediately obvious, while others may become more clear over the coming years. The towns that rely heavily on summer tourism were at first hit hard by the lack of visitors during the lockdown, but then inundated with more than it could accommodate for once it began to lift. A glimmer of hope for these towns is that they will begin to receive a more regular and manageable flow of British holidaymakers in the future, causing a long term boost to the local economy.

How do you intend for the viewer to respond to A Big Fat Sky? Personally, when I see these images I feel a wave of calm and nostalgia, reminiscing my childhood beach holidays along the Suffolk and Norfolk coast. Seeing landscapes that are quite familiar to me. While also on the other hand I note how these familiar backdrops are changing, and falling behind. Is this a response that you intended?

It’s really interesting to hear what you get from the work, and I’m glad that it reminds you of your experiences of the coast. As I mentioned before, I really just wanted to show this part of the country in a different way - I wanted the places and people to look familiar, but for them to feel more like how I remember them as a kid. I really wanted to celebrate the coast and not make fun of it.

A lot of your imagery revolves around portraiture, not just in A Big Fat Sky but also for example your project Burgess Park. How do you approach the subjects? Do you integrate yourself and make deeper connections, or operate as more of an outsider taking a photograph and moving on, so to speak? And does the approach vary from subject to subject/ project to project?

Portraiture is a big part of what I do, and I think it may always play an important role in my practice. My relationship to the subjects varies from person to person, and project to project. I always keep in touch with everyone to an extent - I’ll send them the picture and thank them for their time. Sometimes that will be that, and other times we’ll keep talking for years. Other than friends or family, I hadn’t ever returned to take a portrait of the same person twice. I was always more interested in serendipitous moments, where I would bump into someone at just the right time, and everything would come together perfectly. The idea of going back and trying to create a moment with someone somehow felt disingenuous and uncomfortable to me. I am currently working on something new where this isn’t the case, and I have been taking multiple pictures of one person in particular. I’ve formed a really good relationship with him, and I can see now how this way of working can really help to tell a deeper story.

Where did the name A Big Fat Sky come from?

It’s from the first line of a poem by John Cooper Clarke, called ‘Our Coastal Poem’. It’s a lovely poem and sums up a lot of the ideas of the project. After photographing a lot in London, the title really summed up my experience of shooting on the coast.

What is next for both this project and yourself?

Whilst making this work I came across another story that I’m currently working on. I loosely touched on it within this project, but I felt like it needed more focus and much more time to really do it justice. I see it as a book project, which is exciting as it will be my first one. I’m keeping it quite close to my chest for the time being, as it’s still evolving a lot. I’m enjoying doing more research and revisiting people and places multiple times, rather than just gliding through as I have before. It feels good. I think it’s a step in the right direction.

To see more of Max’s work, visit https://maxmiechowski.com/

Words and Interview by Alice Sophie Turrell

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Hidden within an abandoned cinema, families live side by side as a result of the 1988 conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia. Photographer Alessandro Perchiazzi spent time with documenting their lives and hearing their stories and produced his project, In Limbo.

Can you tell us more about what drove you to make this body of work?

I travelled through Azerbaijan for one month in September 2019 to conduct my research trip. I was fascinated by the strong sense of ambiguity I felt when I first visited the country. In the city centre of the capital Baku there has been a massive investment into its modernisation and yet it doesn’t take much to see its outstanding level of poverty. I was also fascinated by the fact that as many other ex-soviet republics, Azerbaijan holds one of the lowest places in the ranking of the human rights watch. Initially I wanted to collect multiple personal stories creating a narrative based on my first impressions. However, when I went to Sumgayit, Azerbaijan’s third largest city I met three internally displaced families living in an abandoned cinema for decades. I realised that the issue of the Nagorno-Karabakh frozen conflict is incredibly relevant to the past and present of Azerbaijani identity. To me it was just remarkable how united these families are. Despite being forced from their homes, they have managed to build their nests in the cinema whilst waiting for the conflict to end and being able to return home. I believe the issue of displacement is as relevant now as it is ever been before and what draws me the most into this work is the resilience showed by the families despite living in such ambiguous conditions.

The families are displaced as a result of Nagorno-Karabakh frozen conflict, can you elaborate more about the conflict?

The 1988 war conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia caused the displacement of over 600.000 ethnic Azeris. Those affected are from Nagorno-Karabakh and seven surrounding districts which have been taken over by Armenian troops. This figure also includes ethnic Azeris from Armenia, all of which have been forced to flee to Azerbaijan. Although a minority achieved good living standards, others are still in a limbo; waiting to return to their homes. While the peace process between Armenia and Azerbaijan is still in stall, many have been occupying unfinished or abandoned buildings.

The images focus on the living conditions and also a sense of dread felt in the eyes of the families there. How did you go about making these images with the families?

During my research trip I met the families and spent with them few days. On my return I instantly decided to go back and spend longer with them. Whilst living in a room next to the cinema, I would spend almost every day with the families. Despite being a privileged outsider, I was welcomed and allowed to be part of many family dynamics which unfolded before me and my camera. At first, I didn’t immediately used my camera. It was important to me to establish a relationship in order to photograph. While sharing meals and stories during my time with them I tried to understand what it is like to be forced away from home. Eventually, everyone felt quite comfortable with me and the camera. 

I was able to observe their inner strength which allowed them to coexist with their predicament and witness their somewhat optimistic outlook towards their future. 

Are there any particular stories you heard which resonated with you?

Perhaps the one that resonates with me the most is that of Abulfaz, the man drinking tea. Abulfaz has managed to find a job as a security guard now and he and his wife Konul have two children. When he fled Qubadli, one of the districts taken over by Armenian troops, he lived in Russia and Ukraine for 20 years. In doing so he now has a Russian passport and because of this the Azerbaijani government does not grant him a full citizenship. Consequentially he and his family are not allowed to receive any help in their relocation until further notice.

The portrait of the young man in red is really striking. His eyes tell so much of what he is going through. Can you tell me more about his story?

The young man in red is Murad. Murad is now 14 years old and he was born in the cinema after his parents moved in it in 1998. He is one of the people whom I bonded the most with. Even though we would always need a translator to communicate, Murad would often sneak away from his family to share a cigarette with me or invite me over for some tea. Murad to me represents the strongest of all, a really decent kid who shows a unique inner strength.

What is the future for these people? Is there any support to get them into safer places to live?

Out of the three families, only one has been offered relocation which it should happen by the end of the year. None of them receives help from the government and they are all self-reliant but of course that still mean remaining poor. The main hope for them is the end of the war and the possibility of returning to their homes.

DARWIN is happy to announce a new FREE mentorship program. Lasting 6 months and taking on 5 photographers, the mentorship will support photographers at key stages in their career. Led by our editor Harry Rose who has 10 years experience in the creative industry from commissioning photography to launching global branded content led campaigns with some of the world most recognisable brands. The mentorship will cover portfolio support for both personal and professional work as well as help with commissions and pitching your work for paid jobs. 

We recently caught up with Harry to find out more behind the mentorship and what to expect.

Hey Harry, what made you want to launch a mentorship program?

Hello! It has been on the cards a long time since wanting to bring Darwin back. Since COVID19 and lockdown, I’ve been in contact with so many creatives who’ve been hit really hard yet they were able to just get by. Thinking about the photographers who were early career and then being hit by this pandemic, my heart really went out to them. It’s not easy in photo land, even without a global pandemic. Everything stopped, and I wanted to do something which would help move things along for some photographers. It also felt right as I’ve just finished up an 19 month contract where I was representing photographers as an agent and producer, I really want to keep that side of my life going as I find it really rewarding being the person behind the scenes making things work.

What can people expect from the mentorship?

They can certainly expect a lot of support and weekly catch ups with myself. I will be providing insight into help with editing work, putting projects together as well as opening doors where I can. People can expect some special industry guests to give one off portfolio reviews and I will be working closely with each photographer to help secure paid work as well as commissions. Throughout the 6 months, I expect each photographer to go in different directions and I’m really looking forward to seeing how we can work together to help out in uncertain and challenging times in the creative world. 

What are you looking for from a photographer when taking on a mentorship role?

I’m looking for people who have a drive and are passionate. Also for photographers whose work and approach I connect with and feel I can help with. I wouldn’t mentor any photographer out there, I would have to be able to visualise being able to get them meetings, paid work ect. Seeing that raw potential with the right support and resources they’d be able to achieve what they want to under the 6 months. 

If the photographer has had paid work in the past and won awards, should they still apply?

Absolutely. Even though I’m looking for an early career, if they have won awards and secured paid work, I’d still want to hear from them and see how I can help.

This mentorship is for photographers only. If you'd like to be considered for the program, email your portfolio and a brief statement of where you want to take your creative practice to : Harry@darwinmagazine.co.uk

Applicants will be selected based on where they are in their career and knowledge that our team can bring to your progression as a creative.

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Once a year, in the dusty beaten plains of Almonte, Southern Spain a tradition over 500 years old takes place. Proud cowboys saddle up, squint under the beating summer sun and ride across the landscape, looking for their prize. The prize itself, over 1,000 horses which are owned by the men yet live freely in the wild spaces of Almonte’s national park. 

This tradition allows the men to connect with one another at their camps in the evenings, drinking, playing guitars and singing songs, setting scenes which jump our brains to imagery from classic westerns. Documentary photographer Foggitt took part in one of their round ups in his project titled Yeguerizos - The Horsemen of Almonte.

Horses play a huge part of day to day life, Foggitt explains how the bars themselves are the same height as a horses mounted saddle, so you can enjoy your cool beverage without leaving your trusty steeds back. This connection to animals and landscape is one to be celebrated, which is felt within Foggitt’s photographs which themselves feel like an open love letter to tradition and a level of respect for this way of life, and those who keep it alive. We see young and old men, horses charging towards the camera, men laying on the earth together tired from what can be back breaking work. These photographs feel not only a documentation of tradition, but a celebration of it, with warmth and respect bouncing from image to image. 

The purpose of this great ride out to find all of the men's horses isn’t just to have a good time with your friends on horseback. All of the horses once herded up are led back into town and rushed through the streets as locals clap and celebrate the sight of 1000 horses thundering past their homes. Once the applause dies down, the horses are either branded according to who owns them, manes are cut back and some are sold to those who wish to purchase. When all business is done, the horses are led back into the wilds, left safe to graze and live until the next round up begins in a years time. 

See more of Leon's work here - https://www.leonfoggitt.com/