Exploring Canvey Island

March - May 2009

By Vanessa Rolf

Before arriving on Canvey Island for the artist residency at Cornelius Vermuyden School I had been researching as much as I could find about the geography, the wildlife and the Island's history. It was in March that I arrived on my bicycle for my first reconnaissance, along with meetings to organise the finer details about the project.

I explored the Island over the next two months with the glee of a tourist discovering places I had already read about or seen pictures of. Many of my mental images had been created from the Canvey Island Archive; I had a romantic vision of sepia wooden holiday bungalows and seaside fun. As a traveller you often find what you are looking for and I think many of the photographs I have taken have a slightly nostalgic focus.

If anyone has any comments or information about the pictures I would be very interested.