Between May 2017 and September 2018 Tim Gander embarked on a photo project of an abandoned industrial site near Frome town centre.
Documenting the way people used this neglected space before the developers moved in. Some walked through it on their way to school, or played with fire after school. Some made a home there. Some decorated it with graffiti, while others used it as a rubbish tip.
Last night, at the launch of the accompanying photobook, he shared the stories behind the scenes and people in the photos. In turns moving, funny and edgy.
As he says in the introduction:
“What evolved over the two years I spent visiting Saxonvale was a darker narrative than I had expected - people living beyond the norms of society either through choice, as a result of a broken home life, or through addiction, all just beyond the peripheral vision of the residents.”
The book, What Happened Here is available to buy and I heartily recommend it.