Ian Mason

The Long Goodbye – Ian Mason

My mother Audrey first showed signs of dementia around 2014. As I am an only child, the responsibility of helping her deal with daily life was my wife’s and mine.

I decided to photograph Audrey’s slow decline on a regular basis as a means of coping, using my photography as a therapy for the gradual loss of her recognition. I used my phone camera to enable discreet photography of the scenes in her flat and latterly in a nursing home. This approach enabled a genuine record of her predicament, untainted by the presence of a traditional camera. Although I felt voyeuristic in doing this it was the only way to produce an authentic and meaningful portrayal of her situation. The series is loosely chronological and documents the issues that affect a person struggling with dementia and the transition from independent living to being reliant on residential care as things worsened.

It has taken me a few years of contemplation regarding the work, given its personal nature and I have included some ‘lighter’ images to balance the sombre tone of the situation.

Exhibiting this project as part of Dementia Week at Bridgwater Arts Centre in 2026 is a meaningful opportunity to share my experiences of this memory robbing disease with images that are at times sad and disturbing but also joyful.