“…these are the moments I never had as a child….”
Written by John MacphersonZun Lee’s project ‘Father Figure’ is one I’ve mentioned before. No apologies for flagging it up again. It’s a beautiful example of making work about what you know, about what’s close to you. It’s overarching theme is all about absence, but in that strange way that life works, it’s grown out of, and illustrated by, the pain of presence…….
Find 5 minutes today and sit quietly and let Zun share a slice of his life, and the motivation for his work, with you.
Then hug your child.
Author — John Macpherson
John MacPherson was born and lives in the Scottish Highlands. He trained as a welder in the Glasgow shipyards, before completing an apprenticeship as a carpenter, and then qualified as a Social Worker in Disability Services. Along the way he has cooked on canal barges, trained as an Alpine Ski Leader & worked as an Instructor for Skiers with disabilities, been a canoe instructor, and tutor of night classes in carpentry, stained glass design and manufacture, and archery. He has travelled extensively on various continents, undertaking solo trips by bicycle, or motorcycle. He has had narrow escapes from an ambush by terrorists, been hit by lightning, caught in an erupting volcano, trapped in a mobile home by a tornado, kidnapped by a dog's hairdresser, rammed by a basking shark and was once bitten by a wild otter. He has combined all this with professional photography, which he has practised for over 35 years. He teaches photography and acts as a photography guide & tutor in the UK and abroad. His biggest challenge is keeping his 30 year old Land Rover 110 on the road. He loves telling and hearing stories.
Discussion (4 Comments)
I’ve known about this project for a while — and I’m a big fan — but this is the first time I’ve heard Zun talk about it. I’m at a loss for words. The video packs such deep emotional power.
The context is heavy. But the message is love.
Beautiful.
I think this is a remarkable body of work, and all the more insightful for his honesty about his own feelings. And I agree, hearing him speak about it is very moving.
I am THRILLED to see this important body of work, it has been a long time coming. I hope that this story and images are shown in EVERY ‘HOOD throughout the USA. I will be sharing this story with my future students, Much respect
Thanks Joseph. Zun’s willingness to explore what must be a painful ‘absence’ in his life has so much potential both to inform others and more importantly blow racially divisive and wildly inaccurate stereotypes clean out of the water. The wider the exposure this work has the better.