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Back There – A photographic work exploring the photograph as evidence

The series continues Ames’ research using photography to re-appraise his experiences as a British soldier in Northern Ireland in the 1990s. The work explores the relationship between the psychological triggers of trauma and the memories of such events and questions the use of the photograph as evidence. ‘Back There’ consists of 5 framed, colour light-jet prints and text panels, and is a series of image/text works that bring together ‘scene-of-the-crime’ photographic imagery with constructed military style serious incident reports from the early 1990s in Northern Ireland. This work revisits a visually well documented and photographed period of history and challenges the role that photography has had in providing evidence in such a complex and politically charged period, offering a new way of thinking about this period and photography as evidence. The work was exhibited at the inaugural Bradford Photography Festival, ‘Ways of Looking’ and was selected following an international call by Anne McNeill, (Director of Impressions Gallery and festival director) and Greg Hobson, (Curator of Photography, National Media Museum). The festival included works by Daniel Meadows, Donovan Wylie, Jeremy Deller and Douglas Gordon. ‘Back There’ was also published in the festival catalogue ‘Ways of Looking: Evidence’ (ISBN: 0-906361-22-2) which featured texts by writer and historian Kester Aspden and acclaimed writer on photography Gerry Badger. ‘Back There’ was also exhibited in Open ’11 exhibition, part of the Brighton Photo Biennial (Oct – Nov 2011). A panel of curators, practitioners, gallerists and critics, selected works ‘for the ways in which they explore photographic practice and redefine disciplinary boundaries’.