Introduction
The Plastic Spoon project has evolved from 4 years of interacting and building relationships with the residents of Muirhouse, one of the most deprived council schemes in the UK. The scheme, which is located on the outskirts of a city that – conversely – has the most millionaires per capita in the country, is known for its high unemployment rates and issues with drugs and violence.
The title Plastic Spoon has multiple layers of meaning. The name came about one night when I was eating dinner with one of my friends from Muirhouse. His son was eating his fried rice across from me. He was eating with a plastic spoon. The majority of the time I ate with my friends from Muirhouse, we would be eating take out which came with plastic cutlery. Another layer that the plastic spoon signifies is the heroin culture that is deep rooted in this community. The most commonly used cutlery to prepare heroin is a spoon. And lastly to me the plastic spoon represents the working class. There is a saying "you are born with a silver spoon in your mouth" which means, you are born into a rich family. The way I see it, the plastic spoon is the opposite of the silver spoon.
This project intertwines through an array of individuals, landscapes, objects, and domestic settings that communicate the feeling of isolation, alienation, and the eccentricity that is specific to Muirhouse. Spending a substantial amount of time with my subjects has inevitably affected the photographs, which have placed the representation of my relationship with the subjects at the focus of the composition.
