Four images made as part of a course Instagram takeover in response to the notion of ‘Home’ during the period of the 2020 Covid19 pandemic.
1/4 Wherever I Lay My Hat (That’s My Home). Marvin Gaye.
My late mother used to say: “We’re going home on holiday to Ireland.” Ireland was never my home though. Later, I gave London 6 months and stayed on. Nonetheless, even after 25 years in my house, brimful with belongings and memories, London isn’t my home either. I visit Liverpool frequently, but to proud Scousers I’ll always be a ‘wool’, while my Cheshire birthplace doesn’t tick the ‘home’ box for me; Macc is a place I moved away from, albeit with an accent I’ll never lose.
So, in these interesting times, what would I grab if my London house was in peril?
Filled with Motown and Northern Soul 45 rpm records, the box is new but some of my singles have been with me for well over 40 years and I play a changing selection daily (no longer the 3 before 8 of Wigan Casino, more like the 8 before tea). None are worth megabucks but they have a special place in my heart (and can still fill the discerning dance floor).
Perhaps Marvin was right? Maybe home is the place you are in right now, with whatever you bring with you?
2/4 You’re All I Need To Get By. Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell. When lockdown was announced I gathered a few basic supplies together. Being a good Northern lad, I already had somewhere to put the coal. Here’s a helpful tip: forget Cif: nothing cleans a bath quite like Photoshop!
3/4 Come & Get These Memories: Martha & The Vandellas. What is the best thing about Zoom/Facetime or similar for you during lockdown (learning and academic content excepted!)? Let’s be honest. I expect we all enjoy a good old gander at other people’s shelves?
4/4 True Blue. Tina Brooks. During lockdown it could be easy to be frozen into inactivity and to feel that there is no new work to make. As always though, inspiration can be found nearby, by stepping out through the front door from ‘home’. Luckily, Hilla and Bernd Becher were on hand, in spirit, from Düsseldorf to offer their deadpan dynamic, lifted and remixed in colour with a nod to the classic Reid Miles Blue Note cover for ‘True Blue’ by Tina Brooks. As for the blue gloves: along with face masks, they have become symbolic of this uncomfortable duration.