21 May, 2020
An
English Summer, a documentary photography project by Chanel
Irvine, was produced over the summer months in England in 2019. It
was three years after the referendum that saw 51.89 per cent of the
population vote to leave the European
Union, with the other 48.11 per cent voting to remain. From the
very beginning of the campaign, and still persisting today, there
has been an incredible amount of uncertainty and conflict regarding
the issue. This was emphasised by the overwhelming number of
protestors and participants in the People’s Vote marches in October
2018, March 2019 and again in October 2019, with an estimated one
million people taking part in both of the 2019 protests. With these
images, Chanel turned away from the visible political tension and
outrage and focused instead on the subtle and simple things that
make the English summer months so very
nostalgic; unguided by place and unaffected by the political
climate of the time. It’s especially poignant today, when we find
ourselves united in the face of a very different kind of crisis, to
pause and reflect on the timeless
British joys that, regardless of our political persuasion, form
our shared history and a hopeful future.
