Legacy (Seaside 1)

Our beautiful coastlines are a place where we flock during summer holidays and immerse ourselves in sports and leisure activities. For centuries they have also been a source of income for many families and businesses. “Legacy (Seaside)” is part of a new series, which serves as an affirmation of our planet, with all its fantastic possibilities of life – and as a reminder that we are all a tiny part – here for a fleeting time. There are millions of years ahead – of which we know nothing. It questions what our role will be while we are here, what impact we will have, and what we will leave behind. The image reflects also on the cyclicality of life, the interdependence of life forms and the transient experience on earth.

The composition has a circular effect. Looking to the right of the image we see ghostly figures of children in the foreground, moving into older adolescents in the background – in the same ghostly quality of the trees it is left to us to decide whether this is representative of the past or future. This cycle is continued on the left hand side of the image where a fisherman is featured – the oldest figure in the scene. Reaching into the foreground here are the only solid and real looking creatures – fish. Their realness in comparison to the ghostly figures and trees suggests something in the present, something which is happening. All throughout this movement of the eye around the image the backdrop of a bay is a permanent and consistent presence. Looking at the wider context of the environment here Legassick’s image brings into question the permanence of the world around us, the way we treat it brings into question its longevity and its presence in our children’s future.