Beachlands is a documentation of the decline of the seaside and the feeling of melancholy it creates. I have travelled along the South coast of England, from Southsea to Hastings, to document the architecture, and the sculptural forms of temporary structures along the coastline. The seaside has been a big part of British culture; the British coast reflects its national identity and is a metaphor for our current state as a nation at an era-defining moment in the context of its national history and relationship to the world. Growing up in London, like many people, I often escaped to the seaside. Now that I live there, I am concerned with what I perceive as the decline of coastal towns and the blend of nostalgia and melancholia that creates. The idea of melancholy was a big starting point for my project, and even though it’s still there, I also feel a new love and appreciation for the seaside. There is a pride of being British and living on the coast.
