as far as they're concerned we are a normal family
Nik Roche is a documentary photographer from Neath, South Wales. Nik decided to pursue a career in photography while working in garden design, and since then, he graduated with an MA from the University of South Wales in Documentary Photography. Nik tells stories of people who live outside of societal norms and who become his close friends over the years. His first monograph, The Budgie Died Instantly, was published by Setanta Books (2020).
Additionally, he was one of the seven photographers included in Pictures From The Garden, a collection of photographic essays published by Dewi Lewis in 2023. as far as they're concerned we are a normal family is a new photobook to be published by Dewi Lewis and can be supported with a Kickstarter project.
Nik met Tony a couple of years ago, and their friendship began over helping Tony find his beer in one of the local bars. Nik spent three years learning about Tony’s life and his aspirations to go back to Nepal, where he used to live in a cave. However, Tony died before realizing his last wish. In this interview, we speak with Nik about the main themes he develops with his work: love and belonging through the prism of community acceptance or rejection. Animals appear in Nik’s photo books, crafting a metaphor for unrequited love and connection. As Nik explains, “Doves feature in Budgie, dogs in Family. Both are metaphors for home, belonging, friendship, relationships, and, obviously, love.” Another theme that Nik invites the viewer to consider is the unspoken reality that lives beyond the frame. We see hints of the wider context through text that appears in the book. Carefully crafting the narrative together with Jude Wall, the editor, and Niall Sweeney, the designer, Tony’s world is recreated as a tribute to his life and the friendship developed in the process. Nik says, “In Family, we use text, objects, and archival images to allow the reader to consider Tony's world beyond the photographic image.”
Publication Details
136 pages
170mm x 235mm portrait
Full color throughout
Casebound with a round spine
Foiling and printed endpapers
Photography by Nik Roche Book Designed by Niall Sweeney Book Editor Jude Wall Published by Dewi Lewis Initial research supported by Arts Council of Wales
Back this project and get your copy here
‘I met Tony in the street. He was annoyed that a beer was waiting for him on a bar, the name of which he could not remember. I helped him find it.’
as far as they're concerned we are a normal family
Hi Nik, it’s an absolute pleasure to speak with you about your upcoming book "as far as they're concerned we are a normal family," and the Kickstarter behind its publication process. First of all, congratulations on the work done and the research you present in this book!
With the photo book and your work in general, you provide a glimpse into the lives of people most of us will never get a chance to meet. As you put it beautifully, you create an “intimate portrait of life outside of societal norms.” What is the story behind meeting Tony, the main protagonist, and the connection formed to learn about his life, his past and present?
I met Tony in the street. He was annoyed that a beer was waiting for him on a bar, the name of which he could not remember. I helped him find it. We became friends. At first, Tony performed for the camera, which is natural, I suppose. Slowly, over three years, he told me stories of his life. It was fascinating. Mushroom trails through Wales and Ireland. Cave dwelling in Nepal and living in an arctic bell tent in the woods behind the house he rented. It took a lot of trust from Tony. He desperately wanted to find his people. Where he felt he belonged. He was, along with many others just like him, living outside of societal norms. The key thing was realising that, in these moments, all Tony wanted was to find love and be loved.
All my work follows a quote by Duane Michals, "I'm not interested in what something looks like, I want to know what it feels like [...] a realm beyond observation."
‘Doves feature in Budgie, dogs in Family. Both are used as metaphors for home, belonging, friendship, relationships, and, obviously, love.’
Personal Experience
This photo book follows the previous titles, The Budgie Died Instantly, which was published by Setanta Books (2020), as we discussed with you on WÜL, and Pictures From The Garden, a collection of photographic essays published by Dewi Lewis (2023). The recurring theme is portraits of people you meet and build a deeper connection with while learning about the part they take in society. Another theme that catches attention is the dogs that become best friends and family members, providing the needed attention, companionship, and love. What was different for you working on this book compared to your previous experience? What have you learned in the process?
The plan with this work was to go back to Nepal with Tony and find his cave. Sadly, Tony passed away before we got there. I was grieving the loss of my dear friend. Pictures From the Garden came to me at a very necessary time in my journey through photography. Paddy Summerfield was a very special friend and mentor. His photographic essays speak about loss and abandonment. Paddy did not have long to live, and so I was dealing with living grief also. The Garden allowed me to process the work I had made with Tony.
Doves feature in Budgie, dogs in Family. Both are used as metaphors for home, belonging, friendship, relationships, and, obviously, love. An interesting observation in dogs is that they all know who the top dog is, and that’s just how it is. The struggle is the fight not to be the bottom dog. In terms of societal constructs ('as far as they're concerned we are a normal family'), the friends I make my work with are battling at this end.
‘I am always aware of the missing elements of narrative that are always present in photography. What happens beyond the frame and the wider context and understanding of the work can easily be missed.’
Crafting Narratives
This is the second title to be published by Dewi Lewis, followed by Pictures From The Garden. I want to discuss the process, which includes book design, editing, and publication. What is important for you in the creation of the narrative, putting the images together, and working on the layouts? In what way do you prefer to build the story to create an emotional response from the viewer?
The narrative follows and considers all of Tony's life. I am always aware of the missing elements of narrative that are always present in photography. What happens beyond the frame and the wider context and understanding of the work can easily be missed. My stories are collaborations with the protagonists, so their voices are always present. In Family, we use text, objects, and archival images to allow the reader to consider Tony's world beyond the photographic image.
I immerse myself in my friends’ lives. All my work discusses notions of home, belonging, friendship, relationships, and love. Jude Wall and I sequence and edit a narrative with these in mind. Niall Sweeney understands the complexities of the narrative and works with us at various stages to identify the design. It is important to me that the design does not dominate the visual language. Niall does this beautifully.
‘On many of our car journeys, Tony happily agreed to wear a microphone. Some of these transcripts made it into the book.’
Texts
The book includes texts throughout the pages (an excerpt below), the memories and conversations you had with the protagonist that help with the visual narrative to learn more about your encounters, and the connection that was formed. Could you walk us through some of the conversations you had that found their way to the pages of the book?
“and that’s why
nobody lived in that cave
coz of the monkeys, leopards, the bears”
I spent three years with Tony. The book starts with a hand-drawn timeline. I put lining paper on his living room wall, and he drew a map of his adventures over several weeks with a Sharpie. On many of our car journeys, Tony happily agreed to wear a microphone. Some of these transcripts made it into the book. In a similar way to Budgie, darkly comical poetic text appears throughout Family. These are not necessarily words spoken by the protagonist rather conversations I had with Tony's friends who live outside the frame. I enjoy the use of text and image as it allows the reader to reimagine an image without actually seeing it. The text from the excerpt you have illustrated acts as a segue between past, present, and future hopes.
Next Steps
What’s next or what questions do you still have unanswered you would like to pursue working on further?
As a fully immersive documentary photographer, I thought it necessary to experience a life close to the one I was hearing from Tony. For the last three years, I have lived in a caravan in the woods. I am slowly documenting this life. The questions I have are still ongoing. What exactly does real community, love, and belonging look like?
