Sophie presents ‘Left at home’

Final year BA (Hons) Photography student Sophie Warwick, 21, was inspired by various artists for her final major project titled ‘Left at home’. Her images investigate domestic life and how it can be documented in a way that preserves memory and life through still life imagery. We caught up with her to find out more:

Hi Sophie, tell us about your final major project:

My final major project Left at Home is a body of work based around the domestic home in which my grandparents now inhabit on their own. Through still life imagery, I wanted to embody the emotions and feelings surrounding a family home in which bedrooms are now vacant and the past preserved through matter and abandoned belongings.

Where did you find inspiration for your project?

This project was inspired by various artists exploring and investigating domestic life and the many ways in which we document it. However, my main inspiration was Nigel Shafran with his series Dads Office; melancholic depictions of his father’s old office space within the family home. Shafran’s work was inspiring to me as he focused in on the everyday mundane of domestic life, documenting it in a way that preserves memory and life through still life imagery.

What have you enjoyed most about your time at Solent?

I thoroughly enjoyed the one-to-one time with our lecturers; as they are professionals working within the industry it was really interesting to discuss my own work as well as theirs as they are very knowledgeable of not just the practise of photography, but the history and theory.

What’s next for you?

I plan to get experience through assisting whilst also looking at graduate schemes. I would like to work in a gallery so I'm aiming to gain experience through volunteering. I would also like to do a master’s in art history and curating.

What advice would you give to other students?

Make the most of the facilities such as the studio spaces, darkrooms and library and utilise the knowledge your lecturers have to offer and keep on reading.