Beneath the finish has been hard work. I didn't go on site with a camera; I worked as a plasterer for years and when I got a chance I took photos. I am a plasterer that wants to be a photographer.
Plastering is hiding; plasterboard, timber, electrical wires and plumbing all hide beneath the finish of plaster. Over a few years of learning the trade I was exposed to everything that would otherwise go unseen and I chose to document the parts that caught my eye. My photographs explore themes of mental health struggles that hide behind the handyman front and they also document deteriorating physical health.
I chose to take all of the photographs in this series with a smartphone. Partly to explore how capable the smartphone's camera is but mainly to keep the images real. Everyone puts on a mask when they're consciously stood in front of a camera. I love how a smartphone camera can go under the radar and capture a real moment.
The construction industry, but specifically plastering as this is my trade, contains moments and sights that, unless you were there in the room or on the site, you wouldn't see. Everyone has preconceptions about tradies and they're probably right. However, as with everything in life, there is a balance and many sides to these men that swim beneath the finish.
It’s humbling to see a master at work.