Photographer B: 'When you’ve been homeless, you have to pay attention to your surroundings'
A close-up portrait of Glasgow, shaped by observation, memory and change
For photographer B, Glasgow is a city of details: alleyways, buildings, signs, landmarks and corners that can easily be passed without a second glance. His new permanent exhibitions at Emmaus Glasgow’s charity shops in Partick and Hamiltonhill bring these observations together, offering a portrait of the city as he encounters it. B’s experience of homelessness has shaped that way of looking. ‘When you’ve been homeless on the streets, you have to pay close attention to your surroundings,’ he says. That awareness remains in his photography, whether he’s noticing shortcuts or using familiar landmarks, such as the Smartie Tube bridge, to place himself within the city.
His photographs are also about time. B returns to places to see how light and colour alter throughout the day, while other images are caught almost immediately. He photographs St Enoch subway station at 5am when Argyle Street is empty, while the Finnieston Crane takes on a different character at 10pm, its blue tones standing out against the night and recalling Glasgow’s industrial past.
There is an instinct to preserve these moments, too. ‘Sometimes, I visit a place two or three times,’ B notes. ‘Something might get graffitied or painted over and I want to capture that moment.’ The Star Bar photograph carries a more personal memory, recalling the period before Emmaus when B was homeless and looking for food. Now, proceeds from the photographs help support that charity. The galleries are not intended to remain static as B is already planning black-and-white and winter photographs around Glasgow, so the displays will continue to evolve alongside the city itself. For B, photographing Glasgow is less about presenting a fixed picture of the place than noticing what is there while it is still intact.
Emmaus Glasgow Partick Charity Shop, Dumbarton Road; Emmaus Glasgow Hamiltonhill Charity Shop, Ellesmere Street.