Galleries: The Carnivalesque of Cádiz

Cádiz: that salty peninsular enclave of a city located on the southwest coast of Spain. Cast out into the ocean like an unwanted orphan, to be in Cádiz is literally to be at the end of the road. The writer Laurie Lee described the city as 'a kind of Levantine ghetto almost entirely surrounded by sea... its people dismayed, half-mad, consoled only by vicious humour, prisoners rather than citizens.'

Cádiz is said to be the oldest city in Europe dating back to 1100 BC. It was an important port during early Spanish-American trade, and a host to the naval battles of Drake and Nelson. The old part of the city is a maze of narrow canyon like streets mainly dating from the eighteenth century. Beyond the old city walls lies 'new' Cádiz a place of tower-block apartments built during the 1950s and 60s.

Cádiz has a long tradition of liberalism and the city was a firm opposer to General Franco. This liberalism, along with the city's island like isolation and ghetto mentality has allowed Cádiz to develop a uniquely expressive street culture. Due to necessity because of the lack of space inside people's homes, the gaditanos (as the inhabitants of Cádiz are called) have always lived their lives on the streets. The result has been the creation of a city of the carnivalesque: a place where the expectations of daily life are turned upside down and inside out, turning the activities of the everyday into an elaborate street theatre.

Cádiz is busy preparing itself for the 2012 bicentennial celebrations of the signing of the Spanish Constitution which took place in the city's courts in 1812. I anticipate this will be seen as a crucial time in the city's history. Gentrification is occurring at a rapid pace, and more and more hotels are opening their doors as Cádiz attempts to establish itself as a popular tourist destination. This is great news for a city which has historically been impoverished with high unemployment. But at the same time, life is gradually changing in Cádiz: as the grittiness is polished over and the city smartens up, the rich street life--the very characteristic which makes Cádiz special--is beginning to disappear.

These photographs document a place in transition: they will become a record of what used to be, and what is left behind.