Exhibition helps memories for Ayrshire photographer with dementia

Renowned wildlife and landscape photographer Gerard Connelly is showcasing his debut solo exhibition.

His photography has captured the vast array of incredible wildlife and the stunning landscape around his native South Ayrshire and beyond.

Perhaps most importantly, though, Gerard Connelly’s work has helped spark his memories of days, places and faces.

The 69-year-old, renowned for his images of the natural world across flora and fauna, lives with dementia and also has difficulties with his sight.

He’s been supported by Heathfield House Nursing Home and local social enterprise Narture CIC to put on his debut solo exhibition, which kicks off this week in Ayr’s town centre.

Gerard picking out images for the exhibition.

Featuring 32 pieces of his work from over the years, Gerard’s photographs capture the beauty of the local environment in and around his home village of Dailly in South Ayrshire, as well as Girvan and the nearby coast.

“I’m very pleased,” he said. “I’ve lived all my life in that area. I’ve seen all the wildlife in the area. It certainly is a beautiful part of the world.

“I’m hoping that people will see my work and tell other people about it.”

Out in nature

Gerard grew up as one of 14 children and used to spend time out and about in the nearby countryside with his brothers fishing and foraging.

He became fascinated with the world around him and got into photography through one of his older brothers.

Always attracted by the different shapes and colours that caught his eye, he began several decades of capturing stunning shots ranging from fungi at his feet to seabirds swooping over cliff faces.

“When we were kids my older brother helped me along with it,” he said. “With everything I saw in that area… I was very happy to have a place like it.

“I was amazed when I first started taking photographs. I remember the first good one I took. I ran up to see my brother and showed him what I’d photographed.”

He laughed: “He couldn’t believe it. He wasn’t as good as me!”

That particular shot was of butterflies. Asked what his favourite thing to photograph over the years was, Gerard goes to a creature less colourful but just as tricky to capture – the badger.

He has a large collection of photographs of the nocturnal foragers, often setting up overnight and camping out in dens to try to get shots of them as they emerged from their setts.

Travels to take pictures also took Gerard to the Antarctic more than once and he shared his love of photography with the whole family.

Many of them have been keen to show their support and spread the word of the exhibition.

“I certainly have a lot of happy memories,” he said.

“My wife got into it as well, she came along with me and she enjoyed it.”

You Can See And I Can Remember

The exhibition, You Can See And I Can Remember, opens on Tuesday at the SHAPE venue/café in Ayr.

It’s the culmination of lots of work but also a plenty of fun along the way as Gerard was supported by carers and family to delve into his archive and review his pictures from over the years.

He now struggles to remember a lot of things, but as soon as he took a look at the pictures he could recall who was there, what time of year it was, and when it was taken.

His carers say that seeing his work in his hands – and soon on the gallery walls – brings him back to life as the memories become full again.

He’s been full of joy at the thought of sharing his work with others, and has told almost everyone he knows about the exhibition.

Taking time to reminisce has been proven to be one of the most important ways that people living with dementia can re-associate with seemingly lost memories.

Music, film and, in Gerard’s case, photographs are often able to stimulate the brain and spark more vivid and meaningful connections.

When asked how he’d describe the exhibition, Gerard said: “It’s just my life isn’t it?”

“Once I got into it’s gone quickly,” he added. “I didn’t sit down at all and just kept going.

“The support has been great. The people that’ve helped me have made a big difference. It makes me feel really good.”

Art in the community

Gerard’s exhibition is a collaborative effort between Heathfield House and Narture CIC, a social enterprise committed to promoting the arts within the community.

Tracy Kearman, the care home’s manager, is focused on enriching residents’ lives by celebrating their past experiences.

“I really believe that life shouldn’t stop for residents when they enter the care home, the care home should enrich and celebrate the lives they lived before they came here,” she said.

“Ged, as he is affectionally known, is thrilled to have an art exhibition in his name, one which we hope will open up an infinite amount of new opportunities on his life’s journey.

“I hope this is the beginning of many more joint ventures with Heathfield House and the local community.”

One of Gerard's pictures. — One of Gerard’s pictures.

Gerard’s exhibition is the latest to be brought to life by the Narture CIC project in Ayrshire, co-founded by father and daughter Robert and Saskia Singer.

Part bakery, part gallery, it bakes bread to generate ‘dough’ to fund projects, promote the arts in the area and spotlight local talents.

Saskia said: “We work to the principle that everyone is an artist, and are over the moon to celebrate Gerard’s talents and support his artistic journey.

“We can’t wait to welcome people into the new space to experience his captivating work and join our vibrant community in championing the transformative power of creativity.”