Daylight Robbery

What value do we place on natural light? Andy Billman’s new photographic series documents the bricked-up windows of London, examining the role that light and air play for our wellbeing in the spaces we inhabit.

Originally photographing overlooked bricked-up windows in appreciation of their visual form, he discovered many of these windows were blocked up to avoid the Georgian-era Window Tax, which stipulated that the more windows one had, the more one had to pay.

The blocked up windows - remnants of a time when a price was actually placed on light and air - have particular resonance with life during lockdown. Over the past year, windows have been a priceless source of wellbeing; offering sunlight, fresh air and a means to interact with the outside world. Beyond reflecting on these visual structures created in the past, the work inspires a greater consideration for light sources we create in our spaces today.

Daylight Robbery is supported by Olympus and Image Print Centre.