From the age of three Clare Strand was brought up in South Croydon.
At the age of eight she visited Crawley Sports centre for a family day and from there developed a keen interest in trampolining.
When Strand was fourteen a family friend moved with her boyfriend to a wide but shallow terraced house on the Crawley Broadfield Estate. Six weeks after their arrival the couple separated due to irreconcilable differences.
In the same year (1986) the remains of a body were found in the New Forest. Strand watched the Crimewatch UK appeal with interest, the murder had taken place on the Broadfield Estate and in a wide but shallow terraced house.
The New Town of Crawley is perfectly sandwiched between Strand's home
town of Croydon and her current home in Brighton.
Traveling up and down the A23 she passes the Crawley
turn offs numerous times and is reminded of trampolining, family days
and wide and shallow murders.
Since 1995 Clare Strand has been exhibiting her photographic work both nationally and internationally. In 2002/3 she was commissioned by Fotonet South to make a web site work about a New Town, which has culminated in the series, 'Signs Of A Struggle'.
In the making of this work Strand would like to thank: Eugene Ionesco for his play, The Killer or Tueur sans Gages, Gordon MacDonald, Dr Chris Mullen, Graham Strand, Alun Ward, Susie Medley and Sussex Scenes of Crime.