For years I suffered from insomnia, caused by having an overactive mind when trying to sleep. I would lay in bed for hours with thoughts going around in my head, one leading into the next. Insomnia can be a lonely experience, even with somebody lying asleep next to you. One night I decided to go out walking to try and tire myself out. As I walked I saw that familiar places surrounding my home had transformed in appearance whilst under darkness, and usually busy streets were now eerily quiet and still. I became interested in the idea that places have a different existence at night when there is nobody around, and I began taking my camera out to record what I found. Whilst making photographs I was trying to find connections between what I was seeing outside in the darkness, and what would happen in my mind when I lay awake in bed.
Over the course of a summer I explored Brighton as well as the suburban peripheries and countryside. Using a local map, each night I would walk a different part of the town centre, coastline and countryside until I covered the entire area. For the project I used flash to illuminate objects in the darkness, it also meant that I didn’t have to carry a tripod. Walking at night is generally considered a risk, but I found it to be a calming and safe experience as there were very few people around, almost no traffic and I felt free to explore places without being watched.
Sleeplessness explores themes of insomnia, night walking and the aloneness that can be experienced during the night. The work is intended to draw parallels between the isolation of the nocturnal urban environment and what happens to the mind when we are unable to sleep.