All images © Mike Whelan
"The catalyst for my Ad-Site project was the increase in new construction works taking place in London. Walk past one of these building sites and you'll be greeted with 'artists impressions' of modern utopias, which promise an elevated social existence by living, working, or even just visiting one of these locations. But there is a radical distinction between utopian vision and the social reality which attends the upheavals of regeneration - and which remains out of public view. I wanted to deconstruct these projections of pristine living and suggest towards the unseen on the social infrastructure that 'gentrification' entails."
Since graduating a few years ago with a BA photography Whelan has been assisting, won the Fine Art Single category at the 2009 NYPH awards, highly recommended at the 2009 IPA’s, voted AOP’s 2009 Assistant Photographer of the year, a finalist in the Photographers Forum Best of Photography 2009 show and 2008 BJP Project Assistance Award nominee. Recent exhibitions include the Photographers Gallery, AOP Gallery, Brighton Photo Fringe and upcoming exhibitions in New York. He is currently working on two books and seeking gallery representation for his personal work.
