Photo essay by Chanel Irvine.

 ‘An English Summer’ is a documentary photography project produced over the English summer of 2019 - three years after the referendum that saw 51.89% of the population vote to leave the European Union, with 48.11% voting to remain. From the very beginning of the campaign, and still persisting today, there has been an incredible amount of uncertainty and conflict regarding the issue. This was emphasised by the overwhelming number of protestors and participants in the ‘People’s Vote’ marches; in October 2018, March 2019 and again in October 2019, with an estimated one million people taking part in both of the 2019 protests. 

With these images, Chanel turned away from the visible political tension and outrage and focused instead on the subtle and simple things that make the English summer months so very nostalgic; unguided by place and unaffected by the political climate of the time. Drawn to the “quintessentially British”, these images offer a sense of consistency that wasn’t reflected by the government’s negotiations, communication and promises over the last three and a half years.  Whilst uncertainty surrounding Brexit continues to shake and unsettle the nation, this body of work was created to give viewers an opportunity to pause and consider the timeless British joys that will remain, despite everything we stand to lose in leaving. 

Artist bio: As a documentary photographer, Chanel’s practice seeks to portray the power of human initiative, connection and contribution. Inspired by the importance of solution-based journalism, she embraces visual communication that empowers and inspires. Her stories often focus on livelihoods, environments and communities that are susceptible to change based on emerging trends, development demands and the technological progressions that inevitably accompany today’s increasingly modern society. In this way, her photographs aim not only to serve as a historical preservation of their subjects, but to shed light on their most admirable, steadfast and necessary presence in today’s world.

Using a retrospective lens, Chanel’s more personal work similarly reflects this tension between preservation and change. With an eye for moments she deems timeless, her observations consistently focus on scenes that are reminiscent of older, simpler times, which persist seemingly unaffected by the advancements that continuously transform the world we live in. As a result, her photographs accentuate the “ordinary” - reasserting its importance as a photographic subject and highlighting the beauty that can constantly be rediscovered in the everyday.

Chanel is based in London and recently completed an MA at the Spéos Photographic Institute following a Bachelor of Politics, Philosophy and Economics at the Australian National University, where she focused on questions of social and global justice.