Marc Provins

Walking east from Manchester city centre, passing through the remarkable, unstoppable march of regeneration. Roaming through Ancoats, New Islington, Bradford, Beswick. Street names with history: Silk, Naval, Temperance, Helmet, Dark Lane. The outer edge of the city is extending so quickly you can almost see it moving in front of you. The battle between the natural world and humankind playing out in those fertile fringes. Dramatic, low, intense January sun transforming all in it's path, the world feels alive; beauty, debris, light, shade, natural, manmade. High contrast. 

I've a German friend who calls the light in Manchester 'greyshine'. It's our most common look, soft diffused light bouncing back off a ceiling of velvety grey cloud. There's no point doing anything other than embracing it if you live here. It changes everything, barely a shadow to be seen, the world looks still, almost suspended. These images were made on just such a day. I walked what has historically been the southern edge of the city centre, now a huge building site, with skyscrapers going up at a pace, blurring the corridor that separated Hulme from town. I lived in Hulme during one of the regeneration waves, it was the first house I owned and there was nothing there except a massive Asda, having been cleared of the architecture from the previous regeneration attempt just twenty or so years before. I was intrigued by the change, my interest being the struggle for control between nature and the human race and how this collision presents itself...