LOVEHEARTS – RESHOOTING THE PRINTS

During the past few years I’ve been working on a little side project called LOVEHEARTS where I document all the hearts and love declarations that are carved onto the trees in Epping Forest and have over 900 of them now. I go to the forest nearly every week, alone, and walk, think, shoot, and reflect.

While searching for all these hearts – and wondered about the couples and stories they represent – I have had to confront my own failures in romance. At menopause I am now beyond the point of ever having children, and that purpose of love is now beyond reach. I normally present my Lovehearts project as something less personal, and I hide the fact that I have often felt sad and regretful while shooting it.

My images here are reshoots of colourful, happy prints, where I’ve added elements on top that represent how I truly feel about the work: My sometimes anger and resentment that ‘everyone’ else managed to find someone, have babies and a family. My longing and my desires that still burn within me.