The Bright Side of Not Belonging I'm a (piece of) work in progress. And that's good. Finished is, well, finished.

NEW ZEALAND | Thursday, 10 January 2013 | Views [260] | View Smaller Image

A lily growing in Christchurch, characteristic of the garden city reputation. This white lily faces down, and has a solemn beauty about it. This image is in homage to the cherished buildings which fell and the people who lost their lives in the February 2011 earthquake. It also references the installation piece that consisted of white painted chairs and cribs - the memorial for those who died. This flowers beautiful petals will fall, but it's roots will regrow more flowers in years to come.

The sun setting in the clouds above Christchurch, Canterbury, NZ, as I descend in a plane. You might not guess that this was simply taken through the porthole window. This photo was taken before the first quakes in Chch. The plane descent is symbolic of the fall of the city and it's most beautiful buildings. The absence of any structures in this image is important also, showing that Chch doesn't need those buildings to be beautiful.

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New Brighton Beach/Pier, Christchurch, during a snow storm of one of the coldest winters in Chch in decades. New Brighton is also one of the harder hit suburbs of Chch.
The timing of these two cold winters was difficult because of the earthquakes. Many people did not have warm homes to shelter them and many districts were still being 'zoned' for earthquake repairs or demolition.
During the winter there were many people stuck in limbo with uncertain futures. This pier appears as a bridge to nowhere, which is how many people would have felt about their lives at the time; not knowing if they had a future in Chch or not.
However, the bitter cold made many in the city appreciate the things they still had. The beauty of the small kindnesses and the community pulling together was important for Chch. This also birthed local superheroes Flat Man and Quake Kid who regularly perform volunteer and charity work for Chch.

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The Bright Side of Not Belonging I'm a (piece of) work in progress. And that's good. Finished is, well, finished.

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