In June 2020 photographer Mark Massey joined Metal Southend for a remote residency to develop his photographic project focusing on the Crowstone in Chalkwell. The Crowstone, which stands on the mud on the Thames Estuary foreshore, acts as a marker with various purposes – including at one time the limit of jurisdiction of the Port of London Authority.
In this short film Mark talks about how he came upon the idea for his photographic project, his relationship with the estuary, and the importance of the Southend communities in the development of his work. He describes how he moved from considering the entire Thames Estuary to focus on the Crowstone as one particular moment and ‘spot’ to represent a wider range of ideas about the estuary.
During his residency with Metal, Mark took part in an Estuary 2021 workshop for The Water Replies creative journal project, and talks about the Crowstone as a sort of entity, existing outside of human time – seeing everything and watching out – that it will still be here, long after everyone has gone.
