Rossanne's distinctive documentary-style imagery and her blurring the borders between painting and photography characterise the artist’s work. This can be seen in her Dreamland Dreams series of imagery exploring time, space and memory with the town of Margate as her backdrop.
Once a glorious seaside town visited by many at the height of its popularity, Margate now bears the marks of a time that was; the disassembled rollercoaster; an empty Dreamland building so desolate it allows one to imagine a crowded, bustling house of amusement; the slowly grinding carousel; the striped beach huts, now faded; the Turner Contemporary, modern, sleek and juxtaposing the history of its setting. The story they tell is one of nostalgia and memory.
Storytelling, memory and identity have been strong themes throughout Rossanne’s photography. Featuring heavily in her work are urban landscapes, dream-like scenescapes cobbled together from her travels and childhood memories, and forgotten towns existing beyond their heyday.
Once a glorious seaside town visited by many at the height of its popularity, Margate now bears the marks of a time that was; the disassembled rollercoaster; an empty Dreamland building so desolate it allows one to imagine a crowded, bustling house of amusement; the slowly grinding carousel; the striped beach huts, now faded; the Turner Contemporary, modern, sleek and juxtaposing the history of its setting. The story they tell is one of nostalgia and memory.
Storytelling, memory and identity have been strong themes throughout Rossanne’s photography. Featuring heavily in her work are urban landscapes, dream-like scenescapes cobbled together from her travels and childhood memories, and forgotten towns existing beyond their heyday.
© Rossanne Pellegrino 2020
