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Photographer GEORGE GEORGIOU has lived and worked in the Balkans, Eastern Europe and Turkey over the last decade.

His books, exhibitions and magazine portfolios are renowned for their powerful portrayal of communities in transition. Awards have included two World Press Photo prizes and a Pictures of the Year International first prize. George has undertaken several assignments as a Thomson Foundation consultant.

His latest project: Fault Lines: Turkey East West explores the modernisation and national identity of a country that sits at the crossroads of Eastern and Western cultures. In this Q&A, George explains his approach to capturing such a complex narrative though photography.

The Fault Lines exhibition runs at the Side Gallery, Newcastle upon Tyne, until July 17. The Fault Lines book (left) featuring over 100 images by George Georgiou is published by Schilt and available through Amazon and other leading bookstores.

Did Fault Lines start as a project with a book in mind, or did it grow from work you were already doing?

GG: I moved to Turkey in late 2003, partly to continue an ongoing project called Between the Lines, looking at the space people find themselves in when caught between communities, ideologies and cultures.

This started in Kosova and Serbia between 1999 and 2002, where I explored the effects of the conflict and its aftermath. I continued the theme by photographing in Cyprus, the birthplace of my parents, both Greek Cypriots. With the opening of the border, I was able to photograph my mother’s village in the South and my father’s village in the North.

Click images to enlarge All photographs copyright George Georgiou 2010

The decision to continue the project in Turkey was based on the idea that, since 9/11, the world is fast polarising between Western democracies and the Muslim Middle East. Turkey is seen as a country that bridges that gap, both ideologically and culturally. My aim was too look at this dynamic as Turkey negotiates a number of difficult paths.

As time went by, and I started to build an understanding of Turkish society, I decided to make this an independent project.

The news interest in Turkey and its EU negotiations does provide an opportunity to sell images – my work is mostly self-financed. But my main objective was for the work to be presented as a book and exhibition.

This is the only way that I can get MY narrative across and give the space needed to deal with the complex dynamics involved. A magazine would never give you enough space.

What’s camera kit do you use?

GG: I travel very lightly when I’m shooting – just a Sony bridge camera (the Sony DSC R1, which has an attached 24 to 120 zoom lens), and couple of spare CF cards and batteries. That’s it.

If I know it’s an assignment that requires shooting in low light, I will take a Nikon D700 and a couple of lenses.

The book title suggests you set out to expose ‘fault lines’ between communities. How do you see your role: advocate or observer?

GG: This project explores a great country that has an important historical and future role in the world. One of the things I find frustrating with general media coverage is that it tends to focus on a very narrow agenda, reducing countries to a couple of stereotypes with clear divisions.

My work is not about exposing divisions, but the complex relationship between modernity and tradition, secularism and Islam, democracy and repression—often in unlikely and contradictory combinations. It is these contradictions my work questions.

In asking questions, you can’t be impartial. We always bring our own background, culture and references to bear on what we observe.

I want to give people an impression of my interpretation, while allowing space in the images and narrative for the viewer to find their own meaning.

READ GEORGE GEORGIOU Q&A PART 2 / VIEW MORE IMAGES »