Glastonbury Festival | Andy Hughes

During the spring of 2015, Melinda Watson from RawFoundationUK approached Andy to discuss his involvement in their initiative called the Making Waves 'Plastic-Free Festival' Campaign at Glastonbury Festival. RawFoundationUK is actively engaged in various educational programs, campaigns, and partnerships aimed at addressing key waste issues and promoting behavioral changes. Their approach revolves around systemic thinking, solution-oriented strategies, and driving transformative change. Andy supported this non-governmental organization, and as part of his involvement, he created several images (not displayed here). He attended the festival in both 2015 and 2016.

“Where fire really burns and the light itself burns your eyes, where songs are the most beautiful songs you have ever heard, and emotions passed over in daily life take on a horrifying, uncanny hue” - Timothy Morton

These selected images come from Hughes' Glastonbury Opus series. They explore tensions between the seductive depiction of colour, sculptural forms with an underlying narrative that describes a type of environmental degradation that results from a large festival event. Such gatherings, where tens of thousands of people assemble, generate substantial amounts of waste. Through these images, the intention is to prompt reflections on broader human behavior and excessive consumption. It is important to note that these photographs are not solely employing the conventional techniques of documentary photography. When considered within the broader scope of Hughes' previous work, they contribute to his multifaceted artistic approach.