Triggered!: Miguel Brusch
© Miguel Brusch, Untitled, from the series "The Black Pool" (2017 – 2018)
This image is part of my long-term project "The Black Pool" about the British sea resort Blackpool in North West England. One day in May 2018 I was visiting the theme park Pleasure Beach which is the most prominent tourist attraction of this town. I was searching for images symbolizing the main reason why tourists come to Blackpool: amusement. Also, I wanted to transport the aspect of illusion that this town is trying to create. Blackpool presents itself as a place of joy where one may escape the reality of everyday life. But hidden behind neon lights and the facades of fancy bars and gambling dens, mostly invisible for the greater part of tourists, Blackpool is struggling with serious social hardship, high unemployment and drug abuse rates among residents.
So on my way through the theme park I came across this free fall tower with the Union Jack on its top. The tower alone wouldn't make for a great image, I thought. But there was another scene catching my attention. To preserve the effect of this image, I don't want to tell in detail how it came to be, but it consists of two scenes happening in front of my eyes at the same time, compressed in one frame.
This image is exactly what I was searching for. For me, it symbolises the aspects of amusement, escapism, illusion and the precarious social situation in this British tourist spot. Beyond that, it serves as an example of the illusionary power of photography. If you take a closer look at the image you may realize that something is wrong. You may ask: Did this really happen? If the viewer is left with more questions than answers and a feeling of uncertainty or perplexity, the image has the effect I tried to achieve.
