Firehawks at Open Eye Gallery
Maja Lorkowska, Exhibitions EditorVisit now
Firehawks
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Photographer Stephen King presents an exhibition focused on surprising subject matter – children who set fires.
Firehawks at the Open Eye Gallery is the culmination of a long research project exploring the motivations and stories of underage firesetters. The title refers to the Australian Firehawk bird, which deliberately causes bushfires by dropping burning sticks in an attempt to redirect their prey.
Stephen King is a social documentary and portrait photographer. Many of his projects are created in collaboration with other artists, musicians and academics as well as the participants of the photos. He’s currently a Senior Lecturer and Programme Leader of Photography at Glandwyr in Wales.
In Firehawks, the artist uses his own experience – in his own words: “this exhibition is the result of several years of work, but ultimately a lifetime of trying to understand and heal from my own experiences of firesetting as a young person.” It features the stories of others to spark conversations about the use of fire as an exercise in control. Statistically, children start 25% of deliberate fires in the UK. The main causes of this behaviour are peer pressure, a cry for help due to stress, trauma or simply the desire to play. The natural element becomes a tool for controlling their environment but the issue is a nuanced one, explored in depth by King and his collaborators.
Firehawks features 20 images, organised into three themes: destruction, communication and renewal.
King’s aim was to capture the landscapes of his firesetting locations to encourage discussions with those who have similar experiences or who work with children or adults, such as the Fire Service or specific mental health services. The images are not simple portraits of people or fire; the participants are anonymous while the photographs themselves take a more symbolic form, even borrowing elements from classic fairy tales.
This unlikely subject matter becomes a fascinating narrative in the hands of an experienced photographer.
