Photography – the recording of life. An interview with Fran May. Photography – the recording of life. An interview with Fran May
June 13, 2024
Lena Elster: What does photography
represent to you?
What does photography mean to you?
represent to you?
What does photography mean to you?
Fran May: Photography represents to me life
– recording of life. It's the best medium that we have to record life on earth.
Photography symbolizes life for me –
documenting life. It is the best medium we have to document the
to document life on Earth.
Lena Elster: How did your career as a
photographer start?
How did your career as a photographer begin?
Fran May: It started when I was doing a
painting degree and I had to do a small course on photography as a part of
that. That's when I realized you could actually record your life and I switched
to photography.
It started when I studied painting and
As part of this, I had to complete a small photography course.
At that point I realized that you can actually document your life.
Then I switched to photography.
Lena Elster: What kind of obstacles did
do you have to overcome during your career?
What obstacles did you have to overcome in your
Overcoming a career?
Fran May: None. I never found an
obstacle.obstacle. I think I've been the luckiest girl on the planet so I had everything
opportunity, nobody ever stood in my way, I've been offered wonderful jobs to
do. I've traveled the world, I've worked for big companies, big universities,
big countries and lots of different corporate institutions. So I've had an amazing
life really.
None. There was no
Obstacles. I consider myself lucky because I have had many opportunities and never
someone was standing in my way. I was offered wonderful jobs,
Traveled the world, worked for large companies, universities and countries. I
really had a great life.
Lena Elster: Which topics are shown in
your work and do you think there are topics that should be discussed more in
photography?
What topics do you show in your work
and do you think that there are topics that are more covered in photography
should be?
Fran May: Which topics should be
discussed more? Hmm. I think probably trying to understand the economics
situation behind what we were looking at. And that still holds true today. I
think with the help of photography you can actually see more clearly, see the
picture more clearly. And I think that we'll have a better understanding of that
way forward.
Which topics should be covered more
Hmm. I think we should try to improve the economic situation
understand what we have seen. And that is still true today
I think with the help of photography we can see more clearly and we
have a better understanding of what lies ahead.
Lena Elster: Do you think there's an
underrepresentation of female photographers or female perspectives in
photography?
Are female photographers or
Perspectives underrepresented in photography?
Fran May: I think there is a different
point of view from a woman's perspective. I mean, just looking at this whole thing
show it seems everybody has a different perspective on life. And I think that's it
because we're making our own narrative as we go along and we all need a
narrative in order to understand our life on earth. It's the way we do it.
And so everyone has a different way and a different perspective on life
depending on where they come from.
I think there is another
Viewpoint from a woman’s perspective. If we look at this exhibition
everyone seems to have a different perspective on life. I
I think this is because over time we have created our own narrative
develop – and we need a narrative to explain our life on Earth
understand. That's how we do it. Every person has a different way and perspective
on life, depending on their origins.
Lena Elster: What was your motivation
behind creating your series “London Brick Lane 1976-78”?
What inspired you to create your photo series
“London Brick Lane 1976-78”?
Fran May: My motivation was literally
just recording what I was seeing in my life. I think I was very naive as a
young person and so it was an opportunity to record and to reflect on what I
was looking at. I don't know why really – I thought it was important to do that
at the time. Why are we photographing people, people's lives? I don't really think
at the time I knew why but I thought it was very subconscious.
I just documented that
what I have seen in my life. I believe that as a young person
was very naive and it was an opportunity to share what I saw
to record and reflect. I don’t know why – it seemed to me
important back then. Why do we photograph people and their lives? I think
not that I knew the reason at the time, it was very subconscious.
– recording of life. It's the best medium that we have to record life on earth.
Photography symbolizes life for me –
documenting life. It is the best medium we have to document the
to document life on Earth.
photographer start?
How did your career as a photographer begin?
painting degree and I had to do a small course on photography as a part of
that. That's when I realized you could actually record your life and I switched
to photography.
It started when I studied painting and
As part of this, I had to complete a small photography course.
At that point I realized that you can actually document your life.
Then I switched to photography.
do you have to overcome during your career?
What obstacles did you have to overcome in your
Overcoming a career?
obstacle.obstacle. I think I've been the luckiest girl on the planet so I had everything
opportunity, nobody ever stood in my way, I've been offered wonderful jobs to
do. I've traveled the world, I've worked for big companies, big universities,
big countries and lots of different corporate institutions. So I've had an amazing
life really.
None. There was no
Obstacles. I consider myself lucky because I have had many opportunities and never
someone was standing in my way. I was offered wonderful jobs,
Traveled the world, worked for large companies, universities and countries. I
really had a great life.
your work and do you think there are topics that should be discussed more in
photography?
What topics do you show in your work
and do you think that there are topics that are more covered in photography
should be?
discussed more? Hmm. I think probably trying to understand the economics
situation behind what we were looking at. And that still holds true today. I
think with the help of photography you can actually see more clearly, see the
picture more clearly. And I think that we'll have a better understanding of that
way forward.
Which topics should be covered more
Hmm. I think we should try to improve the economic situation
understand what we have seen. And that is still true today
I think with the help of photography we can see more clearly and we
have a better understanding of what lies ahead.
underrepresentation of female photographers or female perspectives in
photography?
Are female photographers or
Perspectives underrepresented in photography?
point of view from a woman's perspective. I mean, just looking at this whole thing
show it seems everybody has a different perspective on life. And I think that's it
because we're making our own narrative as we go along and we all need a
narrative in order to understand our life on earth. It's the way we do it.
And so everyone has a different way and a different perspective on life
depending on where they come from.
I think there is another
Viewpoint from a woman’s perspective. If we look at this exhibition
everyone seems to have a different perspective on life. I
I think this is because over time we have created our own narrative
develop – and we need a narrative to explain our life on Earth
understand. That's how we do it. Every person has a different way and perspective
on life, depending on their origins.
behind creating your series “London Brick Lane 1976-78”?
What inspired you to create your photo series
“London Brick Lane 1976-78”?
just recording what I was seeing in my life. I think I was very naive as a
young person and so it was an opportunity to record and to reflect on what I
was looking at. I don't know why really – I thought it was important to do that
at the time. Why are we photographing people, people's lives? I don't really think
at the time I knew why but I thought it was very subconscious.
I just documented that
what I have seen in my life. I believe that as a young person
was very naive and it was an opportunity to share what I saw
to record and reflect. I don’t know why – it seemed to me
important back then. Why do we photograph people and their lives? I think
not that I knew the reason at the time, it was very subconscious.
General