Through his photographs Coekin shows us crisp packets, McDonald cartons and road kill – the legacy of the 21st century lifestyle on the landscape. The portraits of the drivers who helped him on his way stand testament to the kindness of strangers - an antidote to the ‘stranger danger’ paranoia peddled by the media.
Like a latter-day beatnik, Chris Coekin (b. 1967) has been hitchhiking around the UK off and on for the past six years. Using a disposable camera to produce images as unpredictable as his journey – and a medium format camera for his portraits – Coekin has captured his adventures, the landscapes and the people he has encountered.
His cardboard signs are his tickets to the open road, while images of him standing abandoned by the road-side, are a poignant reminder of his vulnerability as a traveller.
Influenced by writers Laurie Lee and Jack Kerouac there is something romantic about Coekin’s ambitions, while the photographs themselves reveal a more prosaic reality. And by adopting the name of the cult horror film The Hitcher Coekin shows a satisfyingly perverse sense of humour.
Chris Coekin’s work is not just a portrait of people in the UK, or a comment on the state of the nation. It is part of a tradition where the artist is central to the work itself, and not just a detached observer. The Hitcher is testament to the blurring lines between the photographer and the conceptual artist – as exemplified by Keith Arnatt.
This exhibition is part of The Photographers’ Gallery’s continued remit to support and present work by young British photographers.
The exhibition runs through September 2, 2007. The picture shows Untitled from The Hitcher. -- www.photonet.org.uk
Comment and add to the story without registration, but keep the comments meaningful please. Links are not accepted.
