Antiques of the Future
Baked beans, hoovers or football memoribilia – Callum O’Keefe has been documenting collectors across the country. Their obsessive compulsion to own adds new meaning to ordinary objects and makes them extraordinary.
Photography Callum O'Keefe
Why did you decide to start this project?
My Father used to be a collector, he started collecting Coca-Cola memorabilia before I was born – throughout my life his collection slowly changed to anything 1980’s. He passed away in 2017, leaving all his collection to myself and my brother, through the process of sorting the collection; it left us with many unanswered questions as to why he had the compulsion to collect, why he collected anything from the 1980’s and how collecting help him navigate his everyday life.
The project started as a way for me to answer these questions, finding out why he had such a compulsion to collect, by looking at other collectors and more intently studying his life and his surroundings. I am still in the process of working out his reasoning for collecting, and still looking for answers for these questions, but it is starting to become clearer as the work develops.
How did you find and connect to your subjects?
I started the project looking at the Guinness World Record website for the largest collections in the UK, after connecting with multiple subjects through this, I then moved onto social media platforms like Facebook where I would join groups for collectors and groups for certain objects/hobbies. After posting in these groups I then connected with the subjects over DM and phone calls to portray the project and the idea.
What was their reaction when you asked them to photograph them?
Generally, the reaction was always positive; there was some negative reactions, but this is the case with any form of project. Due to the nature of the project, these people are often proud of their collections and are happy to show it off, this definitely helped with widening my subject area and allowing me to photograph more subjects.
How long did it take you to finish the project?
The project is still currently a work in progress. I started the project around 10 months ago. I plan to photograph more subjects as the project develops as well as building an immersive installation experience which I hope will be displayed alongside the work at exhibition when completed.
“I plan to photograph more subjects as the project develops as well as building an immersive installation experience which I hope will be displayed alongside the work at exhibition when completed.”
What was the most interesting experience you had while shooting this project?
Every subject has been interesting in their own right, hearing their experiences of collecting and how much joy it has brought each person has truly been a pleasure. Saying that, for me the most interesting subject has been John Portsmouth Football Club Westwood – a Portsmouth FC collector who is often portrayed within a negative light within the media. John is famous for being a football fan but runs his family-owned Antiquarian Book Shop in Petersfield in his spare time. This juxtaposition made him a truly interesting character with many different stories and experiences.
About Callum O’Keefe
Callum is a documentary photographer and recently graduated from BA [Hons] Photography at the University West of England. His work centres around exploring the banal and how mundane can reveal something about our cultural climate.
To see more of Callum’s work, follow him on Instagram or check out his website.
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