Dock Life Renewed: How London's Docks are Thriving Again

Description

Forty years ago, London's Docklands had become 6,000 acres of forgotten wasteland after over a century as the busiest port in the world. Now these once-derelict docks are again filled with ships and boats, forming homes and businesses for an extraordinary range of people. Whether millionaires visiting on their superyachts, country house executives needing a London base, young tech workers wanting a cheaper place to live, jobbing craftsmen keeping ancient marine trades alive or homeless people finding refuge, these are varied and dynamic communities. Highly acclaimed London photographer Niki Gorick focuses on St Katharine Docks, the Surrey Docks and the Isle of Dogs to illustrate the rich mix of personalities and activities in these converted commercial docks. They enjoy central London locations but as floating communities with their own nautical customs and rules, they are a world apart from their land-based neighbours. These images reveal the amazingly diverse modern-day life within these urban marinas.

As a British fine art photographer specialising in images of London and Londoners for over 20 years, Niki Gorick has established a reputation for capturing the true character of the city. Niki's enthusiasm for creating images led to a career spanning theatre photography, journalism, television camerawork and scriptwriting in Canada, Hong Kong and Scotland, as well as London, where she now lives and works. Her photographs have been exhibited throughout London, including at the Barbican and the National Maritime Museum, and are in both private and corporate collections.