One man’s journey with Parkinson’s disease

April 4, 2017

One of the images of Mr Andrews, taken by UK photographer Danielle Tunstall

After nine years working with 425 photographers, Brighton resident Tim Andrews will be showcasing the results of his personal journey with Parkinson’s disease - a progressive and incurable disease of the nervous system marked by tremor, muscular rigidity, and slow, imprecise movements. The free exhibition will showcase 40 prints at The Montefiore Hospital in Hove, as part of the Brighton Fringe next month.

Tim Andrews

All of the prints have a common theme – they show Mr Andrews in various poses and settings taken since his diagnosis. “When I saw the results of my very first modelling session nine years ago, I looked at the photo and saw a human being with power and prospects, which is not something I had felt since my diagnosis in 2005,” said Mr Andrews, 65, a retired solicitor. He entitled the photographic project ‘Over the Hill’ which he says is a rallying battle cry, rather than a negative comment on his illness. 

Professional photographers involved have included famous names such as Rankin (whose subjects include Kate Moss and Scarlett Johansson) Harry Borden (Baroness Thatcher, Mo Farah) and Jillian Edelstein (Nigella Lawson, Colin Firth) but also many photographers from the Brighton area, as well as students and amateur enthusiasts. Some of the photographers have made the effects of Parkinson’s a central theme of their image by concentrating on parts of the body most affected by the tremors. Other photographers have used the camera to bring a sense of stillness to his body that defies the reality of the disease. Mr Andrews: “It has been a fascinating journey. I have always loved photography but never had the patience or skill to practice it successfully. 

However, being a model has enabled me to collaborate with brilliant practitioners of the art and to be part of the artistic photographic process.”The Montefiore Hospital will be the 10th exhibition for the Over the Hill project, and the first time the hospital has taken part in the Brighton Fringe. “We feel extremely privileged to be hosting some of Tim’s amazing collection of photographs and I am sure the exhibition will create a lot of interest and discussion among our visitors and patients,” said The Montefiore Hospital director, Andy Wood. 

The exhibition is free and will run from May 5 until May 26. However, a collection box will be available in the reception area for the Brighton and Hove branch of Parkinson’s UK, and many of the photographers have committed to make a donation to the local charity if any prints are sold.

http://www.brightonandhoveindependent.co.uk/news/one-man-s-journey-with-parkinson-s-disease-1-7898896