On January 1st 1976 the headline read “Love Goddess Rita Hayworth causes a scene on her arrival at London’s Heathrow Airport”. The article went on to ‘inform’ readers of how she had to be ‘half-carried’ down the aircraft steps with her ‘famous hair all over the place’. She was alleged to have refused to leave the plane and was under the influence of alcohol.

Four years after this event Rita was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s which contributed to her death in I987, aged 68. Alcoholism, in the last few decades of her life, was thought to have hidden (and most likely advanced) the effects of what was eventually understood to be Alzheimer’s - a disease which still had much stigma attached to it. Her daughter speaks of her family’s relief at the diagnosis which explained many hard years of confusion mixed with rage.

I am dumbfounded by the negative publicity surrounding these pictures - indicative of the insurmountable expectations still pinned on her by the public.

The handmade frames are replicas of airplane windows - the figures cut out against a background of painted black glass - a deep and unforgiving darkness, reflected back at us.