So yeah, thank you Bitique for showing my book For All People on the blog. It was quite strange seeing my name on there, as it is a blog I am a frequent user of. Thanks again. My self directed work is in full swing now, so I have been whizzing around on my bike most days photographing and documenting 'viewing areas / platforms'. Below is a picture of quite a funny bench. You have walked all the way up to the Suspension Bridge, out of breath and maybe a bit angry; would you really sit about 20 metres away from it, but with your back to it? Hmm..
If you haven't already heard about it, Chris Morris' new project / film Four Lions has just been shown at a film festival somewhere, and I really can't wait to see it myself. There is no official release date yet, but lets hope its not going to be too far away. Click on the image below for a clip of how not to buy bleach.
24/01/2010 | Viewing Platforms
I have begun my search for various viewing areas / platforms, which is going to form a large part of my self-directed study. Today I ventured up to the Clifton Suspension bridge, to visit its 'viewing area'. Viewing areas, are considered to have the 'best possible view', with everybody who visits it taking near enough exactly the same photo of what they are supposed to be looking at. Although it provides you with a safe and easy place to view the bridge, it almost feels quite restrictive. It is marked by a small concrete structure which provides some information, and the whole area, to seperate it from just normal footpath, has its boundries marked by cobblestones.
As well as this viewing area, I recently visited Monkey World, in Wareham (down south somewhere), which, having worked in a wildlife park previously, has got me thinking a bit more about viewing areas and how these kind of parks provide you with areas which allow you to look over the animals, but only in certain areas. The spaces have no other purpose apart from this, and provide the user with exactly the same view as everybody else. I am aware this is perhaps not the most mind boggling and over-whelming idea, but I am starting to become far more aware how restricitive these sort of places are. Here is a lemur, with perhaps exactly the same photo thousands of other people have taken.
What was the reason for having this resting, viewing area here? Is this the best possible view from this area? How many people must have exactly the same photo from sitting or standing infront of these benches? (they are in Weymouth)
21/01/2010 | New work begins
I am going to be looking at spaces that only exist to allow you to look at other things. For example, stands at sports arenas, viewing platforms, towers etc. I have also acquired a new camera which will be playing a large part in gathering my research. This is a photo of a path leading up towards a viewing platform in Clifton, Bristol.
17/01/2010 | Folly
For my self directed study, I have begun looking at follies. These are buildings built by quite nutty people, but make for very interesting viewing. Today I visited Faringdon Folly. A 104ft tower, built for no reason what so ever in 1935. Lord Berners, the man who constructed the tower, was quoted, saying 'the great point of the tower is that it is entirely useless'.
08/01/2010 | Mega Snow
So yeah, everybody has had lots of snow, this was my view out the window the other morning. First taste of proper snow in quite some time.
I have just finished a series of four posters for a recent ISTD brief. I will put the final poster images up very soon. Here is a bit of one.
05/01/2010 | New work added - Ashton Gate / Plastic Horse
Happy new year etc. Hope everyones had fun. I have added a new bit of work to the projects section. Feel free to take a look.
Plastic Horse, who helped me construct this very website, usually do more interesting things than this.
Why not check them out by clicking the horse. Neigh
Busy times in Canterbury. But I have no recent photos of Canterbury, so here is one of some people watching snowboarding in Bristol.
28/12/2009 | Canterbury
I am back in Canterbury at the moment over the Christmas holidays. Very nice.
27/12/2009 | New Website
So I have finally got my website going again, with some help from a Plastic Horse. There are a few of the images in the projects section which aren't there just yet, but I assure you they will be soon. I plan to keep a page going for my Self Directed studies during this final part of my 3rd year, which will consist of research material, what i've been doing and what i intend to do. I will make it obvious where you see that very soon.
