On the Underground

“I decided to start a project exploring the idiosyncrasies and behaviour of train commuters – in particular the strange behaviour they exhibit when commuting into London; like losing their temper with each other, fighting for seats. I soon noticed a strange sense of loneliness: despite being at the heart of a big city, and despite the huge number of people, no one talks; everyone shuts themselves up within their own little world.

So I started trying to capture the ‘anonymity’ of commuting – the fact that crowds are omnipresent, but the individual is anonymous. I was particularly struck by how a packed train can empty out at a certain station, leaving lone individuals in a carriage to continue on to another destination. Somehow it represented the anonymity of the whole situation, and gave me an idea for a picture. For several weeks I tried to get this particular shot, finally managing after several failed attempts in what was a very low light situation. I could have kept trying to improve the image, but my journey to work changed, so that particular situation no longer arose for me.

This is an ongoing project for which I am building up a body of work. This particular image is available as a limited edition print – details at: www.markheathcote.com”