“The stories that evolve from these small remote islands are a microcosm of society - whilst there’s a feeling of the exotic in visiting these places, there’s an undeniable familiarity.”
- Jon Tonks
Photographer Jon Tonks (b.1981, UK) grew up in the West Midlands, far from the ocean. Here in his first solo exhibition in London, Tonks explores the stories of lives shaped by history, geography and the unique intricacies of island life. Two key projects examine the legacy of Britain’s vast colonial history, often on islands in remote corners of the world.
Empire (2007-2013) looks at life on four remote British Overseas Territories in the South Atlantic Ocean - Tristan da Cunha, Ascension Island, St Helena and the Falkland Islands. Through Tonks’ lens, we gain an insight into the ways in which sea-faring nations have encountered and engaged with these remote places over many centuries, and how this legacy has shaped contemporary life.
The Men Who Would Be King (2014-2021), made in collaboration with writer Christopher Lord, tells the stories of men from Europe and America who go to Vanuatu in the South Pacific claiming or believing they are fulfilling a prophecy of a divine man who will one day come from overseas.
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