Mark Neville Boy with rope at Toffee Park Adventure Playground, 2016 limited edition print
In 2016, Mark Neville began photographing children involved in ‘free’ play at playgrounds in north London. A selection from this new body of work was displayed in the Foundling Museum’s exhibition ‘Child’s Play’, as part of a wider project including a symposium and book, all with one aim: to improve conditions in Britain for children’s play.
In this photograph the boy’s pose and intensity of his expression suggest how seriously he is taking play. At this playground children can build camps, grow vegetables, cook, take part in arts and crafts, learn about wildlife, hunt for bugs and creepy crawlies, and play amongst the trees. Sometimes the children, intent on play without interruption, would tell Neville to stop taking photographs, saying: ‘NO, MARK, STOP, THIS IS SERIOUS!’.
Product details
- Edition of 20
- Material: C-type print
- Dimensions: 66 cm x 55 cm
- Includes a 5 cm border around the image
- Numbered and signed by the artist
- Accompanied by a letter of authenticity