
In 2015, Gemma Nash collaborated with contemporary and historical photographer Michele Selway to produce ‘Hanging in the Balance’.
Woodland Residency
Made in association with Forge Woodland Residency in the Whirligig Woods, ‘Hanging in the Balance’ is a series of soundscapes and images symbolising the devastating impact austerity is having on disabled people in the UK.
Photography / Sound
Using wet plate processes in the remote woodland area, Michele Selway photographed disability related paraphernalia (such as wheelchairs and walking sticks) hanging ominously in the trees.
I then recorded the the sound these objects made. In a very remote woodland area it was surprising how they disrupted the natural sonic balance of the environment – poignantly bringing ‘the human condition’ to the fore.
The sonic and visual emptiness of these images, along with the antique process used, creates a haunting double negative.
Suggesting a post apocalyptic scenario, these images depict the deep sense of threat and despair many disabled people feel about their future: A future that hangs in the balance.
We were delighted to be guest artists at the Disability Arts Cymru ‘Austerity and Extravagance’ touring exhibition.