Laurence Ward uses photography in order to investigate and document the urban environment, focussing on areas where contrasts and transitions occur. In these sites, function may be obsolete, but often poignant traces of past activity are evident, and mess and incongruities remain.
Ward's photographs record the ways in which our cities evolve and decay. Devoting attention to areas which might normally be considered banal or inconsequential, his work encourages a curious, investigative relationship with our environment. Although our curiosity is often confronted with suspicion, a closer inspection of such overlooked areas can reveal genuine surprises and small gestures of defiance. These are sometimes ironic or humorous, or invoke an unexpected emotional response.
The photographic images are deliberately taken in a straightforward, unstylised manner and are presented in series. This reflects the understated nature of the subject matter and the ongoing task of trying to record a process of constant change and renewal. When seen as a whole, each series of images offers the possibility of an overall aesthetic reading comprised of repeated elements with small variations.