Area of Research Expertise

Photography

Research Profile

As a photographic practitioner my research investigates the role of the photographic image and its representational abilities with particular emphasis upon contemporary British culture and the 'everyday.' My practice, although deeply rooted within personal experience and the physical process of production is informed by the historical and contemporary debates surrounding the notion of 'reality representation.' My practice often relies upon collaboration with my subject matter, placing myself within the work and the use of archival material and ephemeral documentation. Juxtaposing these elements along with my constructed and non-constructed images allows me to explore the boundaries between fact and fiction. To date my research practice has resulted in two published books 'Knock Three Times' published by Dewi Lewis Publishing in 2006 and 'The Hitcher' published by Walkout books and The Photographers' Gallery in 2007. My work has been exhibited widely both nationally and internationally including a major solo show of 'The Hitcher' at The Photographers' Gallery, London in 2007.

The Hitcher
Like a latter-day beatnik, Chris Coekin has been hitchhiking around the UK off and on for the past six years. Using a disposable camera to produce images as unpredictable as his journey – and a medium format camera for his portraits – Coekin has captured his adventures, the landscapes and the people he has encountered. In the series he is both protagonist and performer as he carefully constructs the narrative of The Hitcher. Through his photographs Coekin shows us crisp packets, McDonald cartons and road kill – the legacy of the 21st century lifestyle on the landscape. The portraits of the drivers who helped him on his way stand testament to the kindness of strangers - an antidote to the 'stranger danger' paranoia peddled by the media. His cardboard signs are his tickets to the open road, while images of him standing abandoned by the road-side, are a poignant reminder of his vulnerability as a traveler. Influenced by writers Laurie Lee and Jack Kerouac there is something romantic about Coekin's ambitions, while the photographs themselves reveal a more prosaic reality. And by adopting the name of the cult horror film The Hitcher Coekin shows a satisfyingly perverse sense of humour. Chris Coekin's work is not just a portrait of people in the UK, or a comment on the state of the nation. It is part of a tradition where the artist is central to the work itself, and not just a detached observer. The Hitcher is testament to the blurring lines between the photographer and the conceptual artist.

Knock Three Times
Chris Coekin's family has a long tradition of socialising in Working Men's Clubs. As a child Chris was taken to many clubs in his hometown of Leicester and during family holidays around England. Many of these clubs have long since disappeared. Working Men's Clubs were originally set up for the support and education of the working man. Knock Three Times is set in the Acomb WMC York where Chris first photographed in 1996. The club, and its members, symbolise the working class community at large. By using metaphorically driven images and archive ephemera, Chris explores his cultural roots and identity. The vivid, ambiguous, and often autobiographical images reflect his recollections of visiting WMCs as a child. They interrogate the complexities associated with growing up within a working class culture, ideas of masculinity, relationships and its work ethic. The notion of 'common sense' provides the foundation for a narrative that looks beyond the surface appearance of WMCs.