CONTEMPORARY JERUSALEM:
This series of photographs are from the streets of the Old City, at the heart of Jerusalem; a candid documentary of the cohesions within the kaleidoscopic cultures and the tensions between them. A glimpse into the every day lives of the survivors and next generation of this a baffling, ancient, battle scarred land.
Gazing in awe at the ceiling of Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion International Airport colossal arrival hall, I’m greeted by helium mascots of the Western world; Sponge Bob Square Pants, Dora the Explorer and Minnie Mouse to name a few. Gentlemen clutch ‘I love you’ balloons and bouquets of flowers bought from a bouquet-offlowers vending machine…
Completely bamboozled by the immeasurable damage thousands of years of battle between Abrahamic religions have had, I found myself instinctively drawn to photographing the next generation of Israeli and Palestinian citizens rather than fixating on the past.
A young boy and middle aged man, deep in contemplation, facing Damascus Gate. Sabbath at sun down:
Hordes of Jewish families took to walking on the roads rather than pavements as they rushed towards the Wailing Wall during the weekly celebration of Shabbat (Sabbath) just before sun down. They do this in protest of anyone using electronic equipment during Shabbat. For Jews this is taken as seriously as not turning on a light switch or using a lift or escalators. I assume the reason why many didn’t arrive on time is because they couldn’t drive here and may have walked a long way. - For Westerners such as myself this is a bizarre but eco-friendly tradition to witness in such a technologically advanced world.
Groups of Arab families, a pair of Orthodox Catholic priests and another of Orthodox Jews. The motion captured echoes the transient, anxious ambience and frantic pace of The Old City at dusk.
I left Jerusalem feeling awestruck and just as bewildered as when I’d arrived! There’s certainly no easy solution to the regions myriad of troubles, but the new tram transport system has struck hope into my heart – not that one day all ill feelings between different cultures/ religious identities will be relinquished, but at least small, manageable, subtle steps are being made towards realistic change.