About the exhibit:
I have had the good fortune to travel widely in the past two decades; some places I've been draw me back over and over again. One of these is the Isle of Man in the British Isles, which first attracted me for the famous Tourist Trophy and Grand Prix motorcycle racing events held there. In the 1990s, I met someone who lived there through a mailing list about motorcycling, which provided an opportunity to visit.
My first visit happened during 1998. It was a very brief, one day lark ... I took the night ferry that arrived at 6:00 am and left the following morning. During that visit, aside from the friendship that developed between myself and my fellow motorcyclist, I discovered something uniquely satisfying about being there. To my perception it seemed unique and beautiful. I have gone back to visit and photograph the Isle almost every year since.
The results of these forays vary widely in the content of the photographs I bring home: from landscapes to details, graphic perceptions to street faces. I decided in this first exhibition of the work to concentrate on the largest town near my friend's home, Ramsey.
These pictures were nearly all taken as I explored Ramsey during the TT practices and races in 2005, taking a respite from watching the motorcycles, meditating on the people and the town around me.
I don't pretend to be a historian or have specialist knowledge about the Isle and its communities. I describe them from the point of view of what I see and how they affect me. Ramsey is a port town with all the trappings including a marina and shipbuilding yard: the proximity of the sea and its tides contribute a pervasive influence which co-mingles with the rural feel of the local farming community.
In the town a row of shops, pubs and eateries line the main street, surrounding that are apartments and homes. There is constant foot traffic in town as people go about their daily business. People of all types and classes live and work there amidst the weather-worn buildings and streets.
The road racing circuit used by the TT and GP racing also runs right through the town. People gather around the pubs at Parliament Square behind temporary fencing to watch the racers come down the short straight from School House Turn to the hard right and esses that lead up the mountain. Race watching can be quite a game of patience and anticipation: you deal with the racing and practice itself (with a 37 mile course, it happens that several minutes can string out between packs of riders), also with the weather, often wet, and inevitable delays and pauses. People wander, sit back, children get impatient. It is a scene ripe for photographic possibilities.
These photos capture a particular essence of Ramsey for me. May they do the same for you.
- Godfrey
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