Review by David Cross, Centre for British Documentary Photography

“Making connections with strangers and entering their homes to photograph, isn’t easy. Few can pull it off without leaving us with a sense that something has been taken from the scene, or subject. But here, in this work called As Long as I keep Busy, we see photographer Neil Goodwin in his prime environment, and so too do we witness the lives of his subjects, equally at home, (quite literally) and more importantly, as ease.

Neil Goodwin, has I feel, transcended what might have been. Unlike vaguely similar work by others, Goodwin’s subjects don’t look like they’re about to jump up and exit the scene for a better life. He has captured poise and elegance, self-determination and an element of pride, and he does so with a similar elegance and poise. The viewer is left thinking that maybe we too would like to be photographed by him.

Neil’s view is relaxed, yet organised. There is structure and balanced chaos. The man really knows how to handle a scenario and yet he also has the talent to free his subjects from the confines of mere photographs. His subjects are alive and full of that essence that makes us characters, that which gives us identity.

I was fortunate to publish a selection of this work in the CBDP magazine and it was very well received. I do feel that Neil Goodwin has created an important and high-quality body of work, and this will only grow in stature over the coming years. His images and texts give us a brilliant insight into the lives of those who live alone and also to some extent, an insight into the human psyche.”

David Cross, Founder, CBDP

The rise of living alone has been a transformative social experience. It changes the way we understand ourselves and our most intimate relationships. It shapes the way we build our cities and develop our economies. It alters the way we become adults, as well as how we age and the way we die. It touches every social group and nearly every family, no matter who we are or whether we live with others today.

Eric Klinenberg: Going Solo. The Extraordinary Rise and Surprising Appeal of Living Alone