A Project in the Background
By Keith Dennis Brewer
Photographs taken in 2023, Fredericton, New Brunswick
These three photographs are part of A Project in the Background, created during a period when Keith Dennis Brewer was deeply engaged in street photography. Taken on different dates throughout 2023 in the city of Fredericton, these images focus on ordinary, often overlooked moments. They are not about spectacle or explanation, but about presence—people moving through their days, doing what they need to do to survive.
Photo One – Seated Figure by the Church
The first image shows a man sitting alone beside a church in downtown Fredericton, partially framed by bare branches and the surrounding urban environment. He is turned away from the camera, his posture closed and contemplative. There is a sense of waiting in this moment—waiting for time to pass, for warmth, for something to change. The church nearby suggests ideas of refuge and hope, yet the man remains outside, grounded in the reality of the cold street. This photograph reflects isolation, but also quiet endurance. It captures survival as something internal and unseen, happening in stillness rather than motion.
Photo Two – Walking the Winter Street
The second photograph captures a man walking along a winter sidewalk, bundled in heavy clothing, carrying what appears to be his belongings. The city continues around him—streetlights, banners, traffic, and pedestrians—yet he feels separate from it all. His head is lowered, focused on the path ahead. This image speaks to survival through movement, through continuing forward despite discomfort, uncertainty, and the cold. It reflects the determination required to keep going when each step feels heavy, and the street becomes both a passage and a test of endurance.
Photo Three – Woman on the Bus
The third image shows a woman seated on a city bus, surrounded by her personal belongings. She looks toward the camera with a calm, steady expression, holding a bottle of water. The bus becomes more than transportation—it is a temporary place of rest, warmth, and shelter. This photograph highlights survival in everyday spaces, where moments of relief exist between destinations. It speaks to resilience, dignity, and adaptation, showing how people find ways to endure within the ordinary rhythms of the city.
Overall Reflection
Together, these images form a quiet narrative about survival in the background of everyday life. A Project in the Background documents moments that are often passed by without notice—people sitting, walking, riding—simply living their lives the best they can. These photographs are not meant to define their subjects, but to acknowledge their presence, reminding us that survival often looks ordinary, quiet, and deeply human.