A review of Parting Glances: Singapore’s Evolving Spaces, by Craig McTurk
By Frank Young
There is something magical about pictorial books – especially if they capture minute details of ordinary people and lives.
A GIFT TO THE FUTURE
Time-travelling through images is only possible if someone took the time and effort to take the photos, which become gifts from the past for all in the future.
For the past five years, Craig McTurk has been photo-documenting six neighbourhoods and their residents as they evolve under relentless modernisation.
From Kampong Melayu, Pulau Ubin’s Malay enclave, to Mr Kwan Wan Lien, 84, the antique restorer in MacPherson, each chapter documents deep personal experiences of the residents in areas such as Kampong Lorong Buangkok, Seletar Camp, Pulau Ubin and People’s Park.
A WORK OF PASSION
Inspired by an article on the last kampong in Singapore, McTurk embarked on this journey to document the evolving social-scape of these disappearing neighbourhoods.
Five years in the making and with over 2,000 photos, McTurk wanted to “tell a story of how a country has evolved so dramatically”.
He would spend countless mornings and afternoons exploring the neighbourhoods and capturing the right moments to amass these volumes of images. In order to connect with older local residents and to penetrate the language barrier, McTurk had either Malay-speaking or dialect-speaking assistants to go out with him.
GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN
The Pulau Ubin section is most poignant for me as it highlights an area that is “poised to fade away entirely with the passing of the current generation”.
McTurk profiles many of the residents, giving us insight into what life is like.
Mr Chen Liang Ji, who grows his own Chinese medicinal herbs, says, “It’s really good living here. I’m healthy and illness-free.”
These pictures and stories that McTurk has assembled will remain forever, waiting for future generations to rediscover the value of what once was.
Parting Glances: Singapore’s Evolving Spaces, Craig McTurk, ORO Editions, $49.95
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