Andrew Mellor

The documentary photographer exploring post-industrial landscapes and identities

Andrew Mellor, a graduate of Blackpool & The Fylde College, is a photographer casting beauty over former industrial scenes, investigating the political, social and psychological effects of industrialisation. Merely a cursory glance at the work below reveals an intimate relationship between place and person, as Andrew’s work sheds light upon the identity both formed and lost in the North West of England as a result of rapid manufacturing developments.

Central to this exploration is Marc Auge’s theory of place and non place. The French anthropologist described ‘non-places’ as those which incite no sense of belonging, and it is the legacy of the latest industrial revolution which creates these earthly, almost haunting environments which Andrew captures so brilliantly.

Andrew works through a process which features a series of shoots and extensive research, each of which guide him in moving the body of work forward and help “target the theme and narrative”. In developing his own film, he also retains control over the technical process, allowing him to secure the beautiful aesthetic that lends itself so appropriately to this subject matter.

There is, therefore, an exquisite irony throughout Andrew’s work: brutal, industrial spaces are treated with exceptional care and delicacy, leaving them reimagined as ethereal landscapes.

andrewmellorphotography.com