London Underground

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Photographs by obsessive compulsive tube photographer Bob Mazzer from the 1970s and 1980s; scenes from a subterranean netherworld, neither here nor there, suspended between departure and arrival, an in-between place of shared destiny, temporary community, surrendered dignity. Continue reading “London Underground”

Frames of reference

Mystery River

The very next morning, right after I finished patching together Out Along Lee, my post about walking the River Lea and the Lee Valley, I found this lovely and fascinating film by Michael Smith thanks to Caught By The River. It felt like synchronicity but this is much better. It was commissioned by The Floating Cinema and UP Projects; it’s a wander along the Lea, all along, down along, out along Lee.

Frames of reference

Out Along Lee

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Sometimes it’s the Lee, other times it’s the Lea, and most times it’s confusing. The River Lea rises at Leagrave, north of London near Luton (Leatown) and flows south via Leyton (Leatown) to join the River Thames at Leamouth. Over the years many of its twists and turns got straightened out to make it more easily navigable and the artificial channels and canals became known as the Lee Navigation. Nowadays the river (Lea) and the canal (Lee) are almost indistinguishable. Continue reading “Out Along Lee”

Frames of reference

London Walks!

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In the Tate Modern shop we found this inspiring book of hand-drawn London rambles. Badaude takes a line for a walk around town. Not to find one’s way in a city may well be uninteresting and banal. It requires ignorance, nothing more. But to lose oneself in a city – as one loses oneself in a forest – that calls for quite a different schooling – Walter Benjamin. Continue reading “London Walks!”

Frames of reference

King’s Cross Xmas Tree

The King’s Cross Laser Christmas Tree is the first of its kind, designed to bring two joyous celebrations together – Rave and Christmas. The tree itself is created by high powered lasers shooting across Regent’s Canal from the King’s Cross Filling Station onto the Midlands Good Shed opposite, drawing a simple Christmas tree. On the hour the tree goes into Rave Mode, best viewed from KXFS where it is accompanied by a random rave track, in this instance Anthem by N-Joi. Read more here.

Frames of reference

More Miniatures

Lego Pompidou

Christopher Corr has been sending us photographs of miniature buildings. If he spots one he snaps it and it joins the collection. This is a Lego version of the Pompidou Centre seen at the Royal Academy’s Richard Rogers exhibition. Continue reading “More Miniatures”

Frames of reference

Tree Portraits

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For the past four years I have been painting portraits of trees in West London woods and nature reserves. The legacy of gardens, parks and woodlands found in London creates an urban environment with an unrivaled relationship to nature that cannot be equaled. Continue reading “Tree Portraits”

Frames of reference