White Bridge

Back in the summer of 2019 on a day out with the family at The Wildfowl & Wetlands  Trust reserve in London I took many photographs, not just of the wildlife but also of the family enjoying themselves. One image in particular caught my imagination. My son was attempting to walk across a low slung, single width rope bridge across a pond, the pond was not particularly deep but nevertheless it was just as wet as any ocean! As he attempted to walk across the bridge it started to sink towards the water,  at first just kissing the surface, with another step it began submerging itself to a depth of a few centimetres, this caused him a dilemma and some trepidation, does he continue walking and inevitably getting his feet wet or about turn and come back? Unfortunately for him I was blocking one end and my partner the other, the dilemma played out with him attempting several steps towards the middle of the bridge and then stepping back, reminiscent of a child running towards the waves on a beach then fleeing back as the waves crash in. With a very brave and concentrated approach together with laughter from the rest of us he finally made it across the bridge, with two very wet feet!

The dilemma and the tentative steps reminded me of many aspects of childhood and parenthood, My teenage son is entering a new stage of his life, he is taking tentative steps forward and in essence away from me, he is beginning his own journey, I was clearly behind him, with motivation and constant encouragement but he was taking his own steps, making his own decisions and ultimately carving his own path, he is not a child anymore. The uncertainty of adolescence, the fear and excitement of the future was all played out in this photograph.

The painting that emerged from this image clearly shows a young man facing the future, back towards the viewer, unaware of their gaze, off balance and pausing before the next step. He is holding on tightly for reassurance and any sense of stability. The bridge has no floor or rigid surface to anchor to and appears to be crossing a void, the bridge has no visible end, it fades into eternity, the future is unseen.