We’re delighted to present the results of our April 2021 competition judged by conceptual documentary photographer Marion Tandé – Manager of the Department of Photography at The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), New York.
“While beautifully shot, an image of a fairground Ferris wheel may not immediately conjure ideas of home. But we learn from Tara’s statement that it’s from a project documenting a ‘fairground family’ who travel from location to location earning a living from this giant contraption. That knowledge gives this image a real emotional weight – this young girl looking across a town’s rows of houses, knowing that in a few days she’ll pack up and move on again. It’s wonderful image, capturing the melancholy that must come with a lack of belonging in any one place, despite the excitement and adventure of such a lifestyle one might imagine from an outsider’s perspective.” – Life Framer
Photographer statement – From the series The Ferris Wheel Kids. “Louis and Jan have always lived the carnival life. They travel from fairground to fairground with their Ferris wheel, living life in constant motion. This portrait series examines life between wheels, the family unit and the unshakeable bonds of brotherly love. In 2014 I started following Louis and Jan with my camera. I made a short film documentary about Louis’ last summer before he had to move to a boarding school in order to attend high school. The years after that I kept coming back curious to see if the strong family unit would change. Now Louis is back from high school and living with his parents again although this time he has his own mobile home, his own fun fair ride and a girlfriend. Despite always on the move I feel an enormously strong sense of home and family bonds with this fun fair traveling family.”
