I was lucky enough to visit the South Island of New Zealand in 2009-10. While there, I met a man named Jimmy who had lived on the West Coast for most of his life and had been working down the nearby mine since the age of 12. He welcomed me into his home, a timber-framed cabin, and invited me to photograph inside.

I am interested in human environments and habitats, in particular the home. Through this small series, I have begun to explore the way we live, the possessions we surround ourselves with, the things we collect- and why. This exploration continues conceptually in my installation Smoke.






All photographs © Lauren Spencer 2011