The Club Hotel's vintage raw beauty was a compelling subject to photograph. Its shaky floor boards, worn damp carpets, ripped-out fireplaces and wind-blown curtains evoked pathos and memory. Intimate tall-ceilinged guest rooms have more recently served as vagrants' quarters.
Within these bashed rooms beauty resides - soft pressed metal ceilings, curved double-sashed windows, cornices, wallpapers. These elements provide a counterpoint to the complex textures, colours and patterns found within the destruction.
On reading the last few lines of Cilla McQueen's poem 'Gossamer' (recited at the Consent to Demolish Hearing) I was inspired to photograph The Club Hotel.
This body of photographic work was presented in collaboration with Cilla McQueen's 'Gossamer' in the exhibition 'Gossamer' at Miharo Gallery, Invercargill 2020.
Cilla McQueen recites her poem 'Gossamer' at the opening of the exhibition 'Gossamer' Miharo Gallery Invercargill 14 February 2020