After a blissful childhood in Tottenham Brighton, the photographer from Brighton determined to prove that gentrification isn’t as bad as it appears to be.
The social and physical landscape of cities across the United Kingdom is changing at a rapid speed. The staggering rise in rents as well as the constant construction of apartments that are not affordable and reductions in council funding that lead to spaces such as youth clubs being closed are all putting communities that have been around for decades at risk of disappearing. These signs of gentrification taking place in his home town of Tottenham that inspired photographer Jack Smethers to begin documenting the residents, activists and the spaces they inhabit. The resultant series White Hart Lane is a thought-provoking, heartfelt and relevant visually revealing the struggles of a community who are fighting the changes to their place of residence.
“Tottenham was always a special place for me,”” the photojournalist begins. “In the same house that my mother was raised her home, she raised me and my sister as well as help out with grandparents’ last years.” In this exact avenue, Jack recalls how kids would move from house to home, and play outdoors for hours. His mom also worked for Labour Member of Parliament of Tottenham Bernie Grant – a popular politician in the community. “Doors were not locked, and it felt like an entire community that took care of one another,” Jack reflects. “I had the privilege of being surrounded incredible people when I was growing up within Tottenham.”
Then, Jack moved to Brighton to attend university. There, he began studying music before deciding to drop out and enroll in a photography class at a local university. At first, Jack began his creative adventure by taking pictures of musicians at live events and festivals. However, it was the photography that photographer John Myers that pushed Jack to think about his own personal experiences. “He would shoot his hometown by focusing on the things some would find boring and mundane using the same methods and equipment to what Ansel Adams used to capture the magnificent Yosemite scenery, however instead focusing upon what he called the Midlands.”
After that, Jack began conducting research and uncovered the changes the city was experiencing. This change was caused by the brand construction of the Tottenham Hotspur stadium, which has brought in a lot of cash to the city. However, Jack quickly realised this economic gain was not utilized in a planned manner. “New high-rise apartments were always being constructed along the street but I began to think about who would be able to afford these flats,” Jack says. “To me it was like an UFO landing on the main street. I began using this as a symbol to describe the gentrification process and the anxiety that residents face to face of losing their homes in the zone.” Tottenham residents Tottenham weren’t taking the changes lightly, they also Jack faced numbers groups and people who were fighting against such inequitable growth in gentrification.
It was crucial for Jack to stay clear of an “candid street photography style” rather he was looking to get acquainted with and collaborate with the people he shot. “I was conscious that even though I been raised in the area but I was looking at the work from afar,” Jack identifies. The photographer draws us to a picture of Ken and his estate. With the background being blurred. The image places Ken on the front row as he looks into the camera’s lens. An active social activist Jack says that Ken has devoted his entire life “to fighting against police discrimination and injustice, as well as discrimination based on race” and chairs Haringey’s Independent Stock and Search Monitoring Group. After taking his photo, Jack was along with Ken at the local police station, going through the police records of prior stops and searches conducted in Haringey, “looking for irregularities in the way that police officers are performing themselves”. This is probably what makes this series so effective as it conveys a impression that in each portrait and every landscape photograph is a complicated story.
Although White Hart Lane faces difficult and downright depressing problems, Jack really hopes that the show generally exudes optimism. “In times of turmoil and uncertainty it is difficult to feel overwhelmed,” he says. “However this project has shown me the goodness in people and the belief that we’re so much more resilient when we are surrounded by other people.” The ideal situation is that after viewing the series, Jack hopes people will leave with a renewed appreciation for the communities around them. “The only way to keep the identity of a place is to acknowledge it and honor the place,” he ends.
