Tell us about the project you presented at Hothouse
My name is Colin Tennant. I am a documentary and fine art photographer based in Scotland. I presented my project Out of the Blue. Out of the Blue is a photographic essay exploring the commercial seafood industry of southern Scotland. The project document the people, places and environments that support, shape and sustain locally landed seafood in southern Scotland.
What have you done with the project since then?
The project was selected for the 'Environmental Arts Festival Scotland' in 2015 where as well as creating an outdoor exhibition that ran for the month of August (featuring frames designed out of scallop dredges) I was also commissioned to create additional work as an extension of the project. This took the form of 6 large scale billboards that were erected at the side of the main transport route through Dumfries and Galloway (where the festival was held). The billboards contained single images from the project and were created to spark conversation about food consumption and consumerism.
Tell us about your experience presenting at Hothouse
My experience of presenting at Hothouse was extremely enjoyable and enriching. Having the opportunity to talk about the project allowed me to express in more detail the ideas and concepts associated with the work. It was also great to see other photographers work and hear about the diverse projects that are being undertaken. I was impressed by the standard of work and have enjoyed becoming part of the redeye network.
What are you up to now?
I am currently working on a long term project documenting the lives of older people from the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community in Cumbria. The project explores what it is like to be LGBT in a predominately rural community. As part of this project I currently have a selection of the images on display at Tullie House Museum and Gallery. The exhibition is titled 'Here, Today' and runs until the Mon 27th June 2016.
