Post Boxes BN12

Started thinking about this in the summer.  Was struck by the number and variety of them in Cambridge - all those lovely colleges and all I thought about was post boxes!  Ha! not quite like that - which is why I haven't got any from Cambridge!!

I thought I'd look at Worthing ... and before Worthing, Goring...

They are fun - and addictive.

Some problems with light on the south-facing ones but trying different times of day and fill-in flash.

Aldsworth Parade

Alinora Crescent (St John's Parade)

Amberley Drive

Barrington Road

Compton Ave

Denton Close

Rustington?!

Fernhurst Drive

Goring Road Post Office

Goring Road/Sea Place

Goring TSO

Goring Way

Parklands Ave/Alinora Crescent

Rose Walk

Sea Place

Sea Lane

West Worthing Post Office

Images from a Visual Journal in 2007

It's interesting that when I started this blog, I thought of it as a new thing, but now this is the third project from the past I have brought in. I think this is because of who I am now and what I want to do now relate back to then, part of the journey that has brought me here today.

If a picture is worth a thousand words then what would a journal be like with just the images? How could I express my daily, ordinary life let alone my hopes, fears, frustrations and joys. Sadly, I never completed the whole year - I went to about July/Aug time. A lot of the days were just documents of the ordinary, however, trying to describe emotional aspects became very intense. Trying to document that everyday, I often felt that I wasn't 'living' enough to have anything to 'write' about.

However, issues about personal identity, self perception, what we think others are thinking about us, how the public persona and the internal angst co-exist. How many of us are still trying to make peace with ourselves - not just in physical appearance, but also mentally and emotionally, and how does that lack of peace affect daily lives and interactions? 

 

 

 

More images available http://picasaweb.google.com/leona.angus/VisualJournal2007ScannedImages#

Hurricane Katrina

Last week I recorded 'When the levees broke' (Spike Lee) on BBC Four about Hurricane Katrina and its on-going effects on New Orleans.

I remember much of the controversy at the time when the people were left by the government without food, water or aid for days, where the sham of America's 'classless' society was shown for what it is.  I guess I should not have been surprised to hear that when people were moved out of the New Orleans area in the aftermath of the hurricane, families were separated across a number of different states and have not been encouraged/facilitated to return home - this dilution or loss of New Orleans culture.

The property developers circle like vultures trying to buy the land from people who were fighting to get their insurance companies to pay out.  This parallels what Naomi Klein describes in her book 'The Shock Doctrine' where the Tsunami was used to clear the beaches of the fishing people in favour of tourism. 


In a statement made by director Spike Lee about the film he states, "New Orleans is fighting for its life. These are not people who will disappear quietly — they're accustomed to hardship and slights, and they'll fight for New Orleans. This film will showcase the struggle for New Orleans by focusing on the profound loss, as well as the indomitable spirit of New Orleaneans."

I was also really struck by the graffiti messages left on walls, houses, cars about what was happening.  These messages seem to carry a different quality about them; having seeing many, many images of people in post-disaster scenarios.  In researching these on-line, I came across Richard Misrach's 'Destroy This Memory' - a catalogue of graffitied reactions by the residents of New Orleans http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/american-graffiti-how-new-orleans-residents-used-spray-paint-to-voice-their-feelings-about-hurricane-katrina-2061836.html 

Banksy in St Leonards-on-Sea

I think I must've been the last to know that Banksy had visited St Leonards!  I was visiting my mum in Bexhill when I saw the pic on the front cover of the Hastings Observer.

The pic had been there for about a week when we visited it.  The usual arguments of street art v graffiti had played out in the paper and the image had already been vandalised, cleaned up, covered with perspex and that partially broken.

We met a couple who had come down from Ashford for the day specially to see it!  and was very interesting eavesdropping on conversations on the meaning of the image!

smokescreen 2009

Part of my final major project for my degree

Projecting an image of myself (age 15) onto the smoke of a bonfire and letting the movement of the smoke animate the image

Audrey's Family Album 2009

An exploration into life behind the images.  

The family album often records the high days and holidays.  I wanted to explore the stories - the dynamics and politics - the smiling faces often hide.

Influences

Sue Isherwood - Family Album

Jo Spence/Rosy Martin

Michael Lesy - Wisconsin Death Trip (film)

Richard Billingham - Reinterpreting Unconventional Family Photographs & Ray's a Laugh

Party 2008

Work made in response to the chosen exhibition space for our Level 2 external exhibition module.  The were the remnants of previous parties still in evidence when we visited.

The exhibition was at the Cellar Bar of the Beechwood Hall Hotel, Worthing

They were two separate but connected pieces

Happy birthday was exhibited with Ed Mead's music