Home Front cover PHOTO ESSAYS LIFE FORCE
The magazine of the art-form of the photo-essay
June 2016 issue
Barry & Jo  London 2015
by Jadwiga Bronte
A free, really high quality photo-essay magazine.  Fabulous! Stephen Fry. British actor, writer and film & documentary maker
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Barry & Jo is a photo essay showing the relationship between Barry, a 60 year old gravedigger and Jo, a 45 year old ex-homeless woman. They currently live together in a council flat in South London.  Both working class, both with difficult and painful pasts, however their hard lives have not made them negative and pessimistic about life. They are both extremely sociable, always laughing, and enjoy life without any desire for materialistic possessions.  I met Barry at a London Cemetery where I was shooting one of my university assessments. There is something special about Barry, he exudes calmness and peacefulness, despite being covered in prison like tattoos – you should never judge a book by its cover.  They have both done things in their life that they regret, but they now have peace and simply want to enjoy life together.  This project documents my Saturday or Sunday evenings at their place, where we drink and eat together.