In Landscapes of Memory and Forgetting
In Landscapes of Memory and Forgetting - with Robin, Scotland Street
Dear Nina, when I returned to Scotland, I was unsure what to do next. Angelika, my German friend, advised me: “ach, you should do photography.” Although I had been making pictures for twenty-five years, I had no idea what she meant. I presented a very naïve portfolio of images representing what I thought photography was at an entrance interview for a place on the BA Photography degree at Edinburgh Napier University, then called Napier Polytechnic. Before the interview, I quelled my nervousness with several large whiskies at a pub across the street. Robin Gillanders was one of the interviewers. Surprisingly, I was accepted, and life took a less self-destructive turn. With guidance from Robin and Dave Williams, my use of photography evolved into a practice, still naïve but progressively more conscious. Many years later, Robin and Dave remain trusted friends. Their influence on my life and on what photography means endures. I have adopted much of what they taught into my own teaching, especially the positive impact of encouragement and the idea that, ultimately, life is the lesson and the project.