Bexhill on Sea (De la Warr 1) 1998 1998

Editor: This photograph, "Bexhill on Sea (De la Warr 1) 1998," by John Riddy, features a solitary figure within a modernist interior. I find the image strangely melancholic, almost a stage set. What symbols do you see in this composition? Curator: The architecture itself is a potent symbol. The De La Warr Pavilion represents a utopian vision of social progress through design. Riddy’s choice to depict it in black and white creates a sense of timelessness, but also perhaps loss. Editor: Loss? Could you say more? Curator: The lone figure, dwarfed by the architecture, suggests the fading of that utopian dream. The sea, vast and indifferent, further emphasizes human isolation. What feelings does the image evoke in you now? Editor: I see it, a quiet meditation on the promises of modernism and its echoes. Curator: Indeed, a space between memory and the present.