“I am retired and selling off my own personal gatherings and collections. I am doing this so my family do not have to deal with this when I either die or have to move to a retirement home.” -Classy.
I met Marlene aka ‘classy’ in 2023. I was picking up a vintage hifi setup that she was selling on Trademe. A quick visit ended up being close to 3 hours as we chatted about her life and the recent loss of her husband Mike who passed suddenly the previous year.
Mike was a working photographer of 30 years and now he has passed, classy’s goal is to relocate into a motorhome instead of a retirement village. Alone with minimal support, classy is selling as much of her belongings before her home is bulldozed by the owners who are selling the land.
“The house next door is almost done and dusted. – thank goodness. The photos of me are so sombre, do I really come across like that? You could perhaps come and see what there is and do some coloured shots. I am no longer in Wilsons Road, the house are gone – flat – bare earth. I am in my motor-home at a caravan park and am settling in quite well. I have transported my pots and urns and now have a garden of flowers and veggies too. Where I am is in Linwood area, so still close to town etc.” -Classy.
This body of work explores loss, attachment to possessions, and a place in time. I will be adding more images to this project as it develops.
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