Politics, like photography, simplifies.
On 24th June 2016 the UK woke up to find itself newly sorted into binary, oppositional tribes.
I looked at the last five towns I’d lived in, all in the north of England, according to their split in the EU Referendum result. I want to encourage some reflection about the absurdity of such ‘weaponised generalisation’ – how much easier it is to lean on divisive stereotypes than to understand the nuances of human behaviour and the range of opinions and values; how simplification, though tempting, can be harmful.
With apologies to Martha Rosler, this is Northern England in two inadequate descriptive systems.
Photography, like politics, simplifies.
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/791ad902-5ae2-49da-97a1-711d2417cdd0/cf0efbae-92c3-46a5-adb5-e0211a310040_rw_1920.jpg?h=17f9caddc31af392a0d3c07bcc9f09cd)
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![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/791ad902-5ae2-49da-97a1-711d2417cdd0/d612e781-ad14-4375-94cf-57af14cf9569_rw_1920.jpg?h=91f279787578ba476d0d65bdafbf45c5)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/791ad902-5ae2-49da-97a1-711d2417cdd0/a6a8fbaf-d287-4a0d-a2e1-8917b499e1fd_rw_1920.jpg?h=d9958535bd06b7274922a11bc4caa81a)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/791ad902-5ae2-49da-97a1-711d2417cdd0/d193c737-901c-4ab8-b9c7-5ae3a5fd0bbe_rw_1920.jpg?h=1152e90a68dd3d462c81d4addb95f92f)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/791ad902-5ae2-49da-97a1-711d2417cdd0/9e9a938a-c227-43f9-acc7-3ea04d2a7d5e_rw_1920.jpg?h=8820feb7aee05e4068ba7d547cdf4e8a)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/791ad902-5ae2-49da-97a1-711d2417cdd0/5e0047ea-c788-4ef8-bc3c-d8e5722e5809_rw_1920.jpg?h=252b00952440f8d7fc1803791afa5cf9)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/791ad902-5ae2-49da-97a1-711d2417cdd0/f28ca4ba-0494-4ac4-85dc-4e2a15b917f9_rw_1920.jpg?h=1ade2c43c3dd99702adbc6a61341a4f0)
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![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/791ad902-5ae2-49da-97a1-711d2417cdd0/18d2bbe0-1d4a-4960-8ede-eccc2e7af308_rw_1920.jpg?h=4f78583ad2ea7a355fb22bf64d2e43ed)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/791ad902-5ae2-49da-97a1-711d2417cdd0/7001e448-a21a-4392-86a2-0534023758c5_rw_1920.jpg?h=41a6ad83f456cc5b39ca52a3a73faa7f)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/791ad902-5ae2-49da-97a1-711d2417cdd0/8c9a3709-cbe0-45ec-9ad2-6f661da94b18_rw_1920.jpg?h=6378e0c314656ea144cf68e8f4618b92)