I have visited the fire station 3 or 4 times over the last month or so. The guys there have been very welcoming, friendly and open to me hanging around drawing, taking photos and being at the station.
At first the images had little focus, and with being told to stay away from anything political by the media department, I was unsure what direction the project could take. Documenting the space itself has been an important part of the work, attempting to tell a vague story about what goes on at the station, building up a sort of portrait of a space rarely seen or displayed. Apart from the initial sketches of an RTC training, I have made images free of any people. I am still unsure of whether this is because of me being uncomfortable with drawing people and the firefighters, or whether I have instead chosen to tell a story of the life there using the space itself as visual subjects. Either way, I have tried to focus on the latter, which is something I believe works in this body of work, and also something I enjoy doing in general.
As much as I like a lot of the drawings made on location, drawing from photos taken during my visits has been essential. This is something I have had contention with in the past, but for this project I have enjoyed trying to gather as many photos as possible to then work from in the studio with brush and black acrylic later. Not only has this given me the opportunity to reflect on the work retrospectively in the studio without the pressures of being on location, it has also allowed me to use a medium which I have found very effective and enjoyable, one which would not be readily available on location. I am really beginning to see the value of both processes, and how both can be used side by side. I still think the immediacy and energy captured in the drawings from life cannot be replaced, but having the time offered to reflect on the images while making them when using reference can ensure that they have a narrative or substance to them. Reference offers more reflection and analysis.
While the image side of the project is somewhat resolved, I am still struggling with the narrative and backstory to the project - the context. My last visit turned out very mixed. It started with my approaching the guys to do an interview, and them brushing it off and not seeming keen. I then sat for hours whilst they were out, feeling uncomfortable and hopeless about getting any useful material to tie the images together. I then grabbed a 10 - 15 min interview with one of the guys on my way out, which will be very useful in the story. I don't think this is enough to go off, yet I feel like I have over stayed my welcome at the Leeds Central Station.
To go forward:
- I am visiting a different station tomorrow to attend a celebration event for the Prince’s Trust Emergency Services training week, as I draw some of the young people during their visit to the station this week
- I am going to approach another station, a fresh set of faces, a new environment and hopefully approach the situation better, being clear what I want from them and how the project will go
- Continue to work from images and build up body of visuals, and continue to reflect and tell the back story of community engagement and prevention, using the interviews I have and any more I gather.
