Stephen Willats

In the Beginning
2011
3 Panels each 112cms x 71.5cms + super 8 film transferred to DVD
Photographic prints, photographic dye, acrylic paint, ink on card

Here, Willats cooperated with a young couple, parents of a young boy, to create this work. He talked with them about their feelings, focusing on their anxieties and their hopes for the future. He photographed them in their home, with the objects found there and made a film that shows signs and messages from their surroundings.
He combined the images and texts from their conversations, and laid these over photographs of them and the interior of their flat. These elements are linked by arrows, creating an interconnected flow diagram.
The work examines the problems faced by families and their expectations about the future - should they conform to the status quo or aim to transform themselves and their situation.