Artist’s statement: This image was a pivotal moment in the project. I had been photographing in the area for a few months and had been returning and giving small 5 x 3 inch prints as gifts to people who had posed for me. I was asked by a boy if I would take a picture of his grandfather, Georgie. Georgie wasn’t too bothered by my presence in his home given that I was with his grandson. His grandson told him he would bring him the picture when I brought it back. We chatted about this and that and I made my images. When I printed this image and saw and felt how it had captured a sense of Georgie that had the appearance of a truth to it. I put a copy on my wall. Viewing the image day after day I became more convinced that my idea to try and photograph the people who lived in the Sheriff Street flats complex might just be a worthwhile endeavour after all. Prior to this breakthrough in the project I, like many photographers embarking on a new body of work, wasn’t confident that the project could produce something interesting. After making this image and seeing the potential in the project I redoubled my efforts and tried to make visits to the area more frequently.
The Loving Eye, Kodak Gallery, Tokyo, Japan 1991.