​From 14th to 17th March 2019, Missing People are presenting an exhibition of portraits of missing loved ones in conjunction with many contributors. 

​The website, including details of how to purchase tickets, is here:

Andrew is included in this exhibition.  As a family, we feel it is something he would appreciate as we spent plenty of time in galleries small and large as he was growing up.  He would like something that made you think or stimulated you to look at something in a different way.  Something that engendered an emotional response or just made you say “Wow”.

The portrait of Andrew achieves just this and so is particularly meaningful for us.  It has been produced by artist Timothy Gatenby.  His website, which helps to explain his thinking about his art, is here:

https://timothygatenby.com/

My own reaction to the portrait he has produced is that he has achieved a likeness of Andrew that is clearly “him”.  But the portrait says much more than that to us.  His use of monochromatic colours and the almost translucent effect gives an impression that reflects how long Andrew has been missing from our family.  It is clearly his face, but the absence of realism powerfully reflects how that face has been distanced from us by the passage of time.  Andrew is so clearly present in our thoughts and feelings, but after all this time any image we conjure up can only ever have this “make believe” quality.

Your own reactions may of course be very different to ours, that is the joy of good art, one can come back to it over and over and see or feel something different each time. 

The exhibition will undoubtedly be meaningful far beyond the personal responses of family members and so I would encourage the reader to consider attending and to think about the impact of missing people at a wider societal level with the stimulus of these amazing artists’ work. 

​​I hope this preview of Andrew’s portrait helps you to understand what it is all about.  Who knows, I may see you there…

The #10yearchallenge trend currently on social media involves people comparing photographs of themselves 10 years apart.  For most people, this is pretty easy to do.  In our case, it forms more of a challenge.
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Andrew has been missing for 11 years now.  Last year Missing People gave us the opportunity to develop an age progressed image as part of our ongoing search for him.  The artist, Tim Widdens, requested family photos of my wife and I, Andrew’s sister and other relatives around age 25, from which he developed these remarkable images:​

During the process, we bounced suggestions back and forth as we tried to think how Andrew may look aged 25.  Could he wear contacts?  Have grown a beard?  What could he have done with his hair?  Might he have piercings or tattoos?  We don’t know.  As a family, we don’t even know if Andrew is still alive, less yet what decisions he may have made about his appearance over a decade.  It is an emotional experience having to make educated guesses at how your own son may look.

It seems like such an everyday thing, knowing what someone looks like.  I don’t think I would walk past my daughter in the street, but I fear I could walk past my son and never recognise him.
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Our #10yearchallenge is one no parent would ever wish to face. 

We have had to face that #10yearchallenge and we could not have done so without the help, resources and support of Missing People.  If you can support them in any way, please consider doing so knowing that they help real families just like us.

Please find the most up to date poster of Andrew below. It  now includes the effect his lens prescription has on magnifying his eyes.

If you feel you would like to donate to Missing People, you can do so here by clicking Andrew's picture. Thank you 

This blog can also be found on the Missing People website where there is more info about the work of the organisation and other ways you can help or donate. Find it .........  here