My media project Fishing for Nostalgia is inspired by my personal experiences and observations of the fishing culture along the River Lea, presented through a visual narrative.

The river faces persistent environmental challenges, notably chronic pollution and heightened levels of harmful algae and bacteria, resulting in a decline in dissolved oxygen. Fishing in the Lea is not pursued for sustenance, primarily due to the high levels of pollutants and the scarcity of edible species. Instead, it has transformed into a leisure practice, a pastime that also positions anglers as the primary observers of the river's changed ecologies, confronted with its degraded health.

The choice of a View-Master and View-Master reel to display my photos intentionally evokes nostalgia linked to fishing along the Lea, fostering reflection on bygone times through visual memories. A View-Master, a mid-20th-century device resembling binoculars, uses circular reels with paired images to create a three-dimensional effect, offering an immersive viewing experience. The device was a popular form of entertainment that was often linked with photo memorabilia of sightseeing.

In a contemporary landscape dominated by industrial fishing and pollutants impacting water bodies, as exemplified by the River Lea, fishing becomes a leisurely pastime reminiscent of times past. Fishing for Nostalgia aspires to deliver a nuanced and satirical commentary on the dynamics of fishing (or its absence) along the River Lea's banks, providing a multifaceted perspective on this narrative's cultural and environmental dimensions.