Close Calls: Coastal Kent Street Photography

STREET SNAPS OF KENT COASTAL TOWNS IN EDINBURGH

In October 2020, singer Marianne Dissard found herself in Kent with her touring cancelled and a long winter ahead.

With a backdrop of the pandemic and until England 're-opened' with the start of the vaccination campaigns, the French-born chanteuse turned to a new practice, street photography, to make sense of her immediate world.

Over the course of the next six months, Dissard went on to assemble a clear-sighted snapshot of post-Brexit life in the corner of the UK's southeastern coast she called home.

Her street photographs include surreal coastal urban landscapes, decimated high streets, and striking portraits of residents made during winter and spring 2021 in, clockwise along the coast, Herne Bay, Margate, Ramsgate, Sandwich, Dover, Folkestone. These were made into two photobooks, including England Re-opening available at AGITATE.

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Born in the French Pyrénées, Dissard lived in Tucson, Arizona, for three decades before moving to the UK in 2017. She relocated from Kent to Glasgow in early 2022 and to Coatbridge in 2023.

The multi-talented artist is now set to present her first solo exhibition in Edinburgh, after On A Good Day You Can See France at The Glasgow Gallery of Photography in 2022 and, also in Glasgow, Second Looks at SaltSpace Gallery in 2023.

Close Calls: Coastal Kent Street Photography by Marianne Dissard opens on Wednesday 6 Septembre at AGITATE in Edinburgh and runs until Wednesday 20 Septembre.

The opening reception will take place on Friday 8 Septembre from 6 to 9pm.

AGITATE Gallery is open 12noon to 6pm, Wednesday through Sunday. Entry is free.

Dissard explains: “I have only been living in Scotland for a little over a year now but have felt very warmly welcomed by its creative community, from musicians to photographers and artists.  

After last year's immersive installation in Glasgow and a more intimate show this year, again in Glasgow, I'm looking forward to share my street snaps of Kent with the Edinburgh photography community."