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. 

L1 City Centre L2 City Centre L3 City Centre, Everton, Vauxhall L4 Anfield, Kirkdale, Walton L5 Anfield, Everton, Kirkdale, Vauxhall L6 Anfield, City Centre, Everton, Fairfield, Kensington, Tuebrook L7 City Centre, Edge Hill, Fairfield, Kensington L8 City Centre, Dingle Toxteth L9 Aintree, Fazakerley, Orrell Park, Walton L10 Aintree Village, Fazakerley L11 Croxteth, Clubmoor, Gillmoss, Norris Green

I glide in and out of cities every day, travelling by train between Manchester and Liverpool and back again. Warrington is bang in the middle. I realised this week that my periphery series is a reaction to my commute and the view you get of the world from a train window. Inspired by these journeys, I have been exploring the periphery of towns and cities by foot, investigating the constant battle between nature and the manmade world. I’m using my camera to compile evidence, documenting a power struggle between the natural world we emerged from and the twenty first century human race that we have become. Every city is different and it would seem the periphery reveals something of the wealth, attitude and governance of the centre. Some cities fade slowly and remain cultivated for mile upon mile, others dwindle quickly into periphery and neglect, passing control back to nature. Accidental tableau present themselves, bucolic scenes emerge from the urban commotion, but nothing is standing ...

When the Trafford Centre opened 20 years ago I despised it. It's cheap, fake architecture, borrowing from every period in human history seemed the height of bad taste. Built by the uber corporation The Peel Group who own huge swaths of land in and around Manchester and Liverpool it was the ultimate two fingers to independent urban chic. Now I live 5 minutes drive away, or I can walk it in half an hour and I have a different relationship with it. I'm still pondering exactly what that relationship is, but as a photographer the walk is interesting and I've been using this journey to continue my Periphery series, exploring the struggle between nature and humans. As I write that sentence I know we are part of nature, but we seem determined to distance ourselves from the rhythms of day and night and the seasons.  I'm interested in how we attempt to shape nature, and how that control is fragile, a little neglect soon gives nature the upper hand.  I'm e...

I've always found the periphery of the city an interesting space to explore. It can feel like a secret concrete garden, forgotten and ignored. In the case of Manchester and Salford who sit on either side of a watery border the urban outer limits are fast expanding and blurring. Land that was forgotten for decades is suddenly valuable and being developed at an unprecedented speed. The relationship between nature and the built environment is quite curious in these neighbourhoods; sometimes roughly tamed, occasionally manicured but more likely wildly free, attempting it's own accelerated land grab.