“Looking Down” Photography Exhibition by Andy Palfreyman – 3rd to 8th October
Arts and Culture – Thursday, September 26th, 2019“Looking Down” -an exploration of homeless through photography opens at The Swiss Church, London at 6pm on 3 October and runs until 8th October. All proceeds and donations from the exhibition will be used to fund the outreach work of the Swiss Church, London with the homeless and vulnerable.
In his second exhibition, ‘Looking Down,’ Andy Palfreyman aims to draw attention to two aspects of homelessness: first, how the homeless are looked down on both physically and metaphorically; and second how the homeless look down in order to scan the ground for useful found objects.
“When you are street homeless you tend to look down and notice things most of the general public don’t see. It strikes a chord with me, why it’s there, how it got there, and I photograph it. It feels like I’m the only person who sees it. Some of these things can be upsetting, but I see it from a homeless person’s point of view…”
“When I see these things I can personally relate to them. For example in Shaftesbury Avenue there is a broken spanner pressed into the tarmac and I bet no one else can see it but me. It reminds me how homeless people are pushed down and become invisible. Once a homeless guy walked past me, it just started to rain, and he left footprints on the wet pavement. I call this photograph The Invisible Homeless.” (Andy)
To learn more about Andy’s own experience of 30 years of homelessness , listen to his interview with Robert Elms on BBC Radio London. Click here . the interview begins at 2.08.00 (2 hours 8 minutes into the programme).