Katherine Green Photography

Narrow Boats, Walthamstow Marshes

katherinegreen — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 11:52:49 +0000

Walthamstow Marshes is a tranquil and beautiful oasis between Hackney, Tottenham and Walthamstow. One of London’s last remaining semi-natural wetlands, it was formerly Lammas Land (land farmed by commoners) and has been designated an area of outstanding natural beauty. The River Lea which flows through the area, forming the Lea Valley – originates in Bedfordshire, flows through Hertfordshire, Essex, and London, joining the river Thames at Bow Creek. To many it comes as a surprise; this beautiful area, abundant with wildlife sandwiched in the middle of urban and overpopulated North East London, but for others it is a home.

Whilst the River Lea is no longer an essential artery for trade, it is still a lively and accessible area. Hundreds of people choose to live on the river, and have built an alternative community flowing throughout London and beyond.

These photographs focus only on Walthamstow Marshes, and the area around Springfield Marina. Springfield Marina has had a marina on the site since at least the 1930’s and was owned by the same family from the 1890s until the 1960s. Hundreds of people live cheek by jowl on house boats in the marina with permanent moorings there, whilst others are ‘cruisers’ – who, by law, can spend up to two weeks in one spot before moving on.

I have begun to document this community as it’s somewhere I find fascinating. My morning rush hour commute takes me across the river, and the train often pauses on the marshes as if to take in the peace before heading on into the heart of the city, just ten minutes away. I often wonder about what it’s like to live on a boat, and the freedom that might bring. So I spent several weeks chatting to people, some of who had lived on boats for generations, some of whom had only recently made the transition and some who spend their weekends there. I found a friendly and welcoming group with a genuine sense of community, of looking out for one another, and people who are in-tune with their impact on their direct local environment.

These images come at a possible time of transition for the River Lea. The Olympic Park sits on one side of the river, and this regeneration has seen thousands of flats being built along the river bank. For the duration of the Olympics, narrow boat dwellers will have restricted access to the canals and waterways due to security concerns. I wonder what the Olympic legacy will be for the people who live on the Lea and for those who treasure it.

These images were produced for the launch of Backyard magazine.

Road to 2012

katherinegreen — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 15:07:04 +0000

Katherine has been commissioned by the National Portrait Gallery/BT to document groups in the five Olympic boroughs in the run up to the games. Photographs and oral histories will be published on the Road to 2012 website in the run up to the Games and a selection of the photographs is exhibited at View Tube, which overlooks the Olympic Park, 27 July – ongoing.

Review of Road to 2012: A Local Story
15 Agust 2011
The Standard: Spirit of Youth in Sport

Taking Part

katherinegreen — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 08:45:55 +0000

As part of photography collective, Image17, Katherine is documenting community sports groups in Waltham Forest in the run up to London 2012. Image17 is a collective of 14 photographers, and during the next year, the Taking Part, exhibition will tour sports, community and Council venues around the Borough.

Katherine has spent time recording Country Amatuer Boxing Club, Leyton. Run by Jeffrey Clarke since the 1980s, Jeffrey and a groups of dedicated volunteer support staff, promote health and improve self confidence with all ages. The club also works with local young people to get them away from gang culture. Here, Jeffrey, Magaret and Finbar, who all jointly run the club, talk about the valuable work that they do.

Exhibited at Chesnuts House, 398 Hoe Street, London E17 9AA, until 11 September 2011.
Please see www.image17.co.uk/2011/exhibition/

At home with Morris

katherinegreen — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 12:44:54 +0000

An ongoing project looking at William Morris designs in domestic settings.

Exhibited at Inspired By Morris 2010
The William Morris Gallery
9 October- 24 December 2010, William Morris Gallery, London

Untitled (Grandad’s House)

katherinegreen — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 12:42:42 +0000

Changing Lives

katherinegreen — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 12:41:21 +0000

Hackney Council for Voluntary Services commissioned Katherine to create a visual, written and oral record of the work of 12 of Hackney’s voluntary and community sector (VCS) groups. The resulting touring exhibition, Changing Lives, has visited been shown at a wide variety of venues from local estates to libraries, it has most recently been on display at City Hall, Tower Bridge.

Wood Street, E17

katherinegreen — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 12:40:17 +0000

Wood Streeet, E17 is a portrait of one street, it’s shops and shop owners, as it struggles for survival. The project resulted in two solo exhibitions of photographys and oral histories, and a self published book available from The Photographers Gallery.

Meet

katherinegreen — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 12:38:35 +0000

An ongoing project with 12 other photographers, called Image17, based in Waltham Forest, London.

We’ve been working collectively to document and record how people spent their leisure time in the 21st century.

This work was exhibited as part of E17 Art Trail 2009 and at 320 Gallery, Bethnal Green.

1948 Olympians

katherinegreen — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 12:37:33 +0000

1948 was the last time the Olympics was held in London. The contrast is stark; London was recovering from war, athletes weren’t paid, were training on rations whilst working full-time and most had to hand sew their own kits….. During the past few years, I have been meeting with, photographing and recording interviews with the British Olympic Team from the 1948 Olympics.

Read the article in The Guardian.

Going to the Dogs

katherinegreen — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 12:34:38 +0000

Going to the Dogs documents the closure of Walthamstow Greyhound Stadium. One of the most loved of the UK’s greyhound tracks. It was one of the areas largest employers. There was a real sense of community there, whole families worked there, and many for generations and the sense of loss was, and still is, enormous.

Going to the Dogs was exhibited at Vestry House Museum, London September – November 2009 and Wolverhampton’s Light House in June 2010.

There is a book to accompany the exhibition, available to purchase online from Blurb.

This project was kindly supported by Arts Council England and Apex Arts.