Photographer Sam Wright became curious about Traveller communities after learning that his great grandmother had been forced to denounce her Irish Traveller heritage upon marriage. Over the course of two years he journeyed to eight fairs across the UK and Ireland to create a contemporary portrait of the resilient and vibrant Traveller and Romani Gypsy communities he encountered.
‘It was very clear that many people have misunderstood Travellers and Romani Gypsies, and I was shocked by the open prejudice towards this community. I wanted to tell the real story of the people I met and counter the misrepresentative media portrayal…As mounting challenges threaten the Traveller and Romani Gypsy communities, I believe it’s time for a positive change in attitudes, and I hope this project contributes to that shift.’
Wright began his project at Appleby Horse Fair—the largest annual gathering of Traveller and Romani people which has taken place since 1775. Before he visited the fair he was warned not to attend—he was told there would be trouble and that his equipment would be stolen—demonstrating the widespread prejudice facing the often misrepresented and maligned community. In spite of warnings, he persisted and was warmly welcomed by the community, quickly building relationships with a number of families as he listened to and recorded their stories on film and in photographs. He went on to visit fairs across Yorkshire, Norfolk, Cumbria, Galway and Cork.
The colour photographs in Wright’s resulting book—Pillar to Post—provide a counterpoint to the stigmatising TV show depictions of Traveller and Romani Gypsy communities of recent years. He depicts the warm bond and respect between multi-generational families and friends. Focusing particularly on the young, the photographs show the co-existence of tradition and modernity and create a record of the endangered community as land for them to inhabit becomes increasingly scarce.
‘We know the camera can lie, and that it does, because the camera lies about Travellers all the time. Photographs of scenes that do not represent us, or of ephemera stripped of their context, are as dishonest as anything that the tongue or the pen can say…. The camera not only lies, it might be the finest liar of them all, because we trust it like no other. But in the right pair of hands, there’s no more powerful gleaner of truth than a camera. And Sam Wright’s photographs tell the truth about us. How can I make such a bold claim and know it’s correct? Because Wright’s photography doesn’t tell one story, a flat story bereft of dimensions. His photography tells the layers.’ Damian LeBas from the book’s essay.
Sam Wright began his career by photographing D.I.Y punk gigs in pub basements around his home town of Sheffield, UK. His work was selected for the Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize 2018 and again this year for the 2024 Prize—to be exhibited at the National Portrait Gallery, London this autumn. He is the recipient of D&AD and AOP Awards and his work has been published in outlets including Creative Review and It’s Nice That amongst others.
Sam Wright : Pillar to Post
GOST Books
Text by Damian LeBas
227x290mm
144pp, 72 images
Hardback
ISBN: 978-1-915423-53-5
£45 | €55 | $60
www.gostbooks.com
