Subject: Urban

Standing at the top of the pedestrian underpass, at the roundabout on St.Stephens, I was struck by my elongated shadow, looking down the steps. On the same day I noticed the shadow cast by a fire escape at Anchor Quay, off Westwick St.  I removed the tiles from the underpass wall as it descends, but left the  green handrail. You can see the tiles in my shadow. The two images work well together, creating a symmetry, which flows through the picture. My self portrait is irrelevant. This is me  being me, taking pictures of a world I try to understand , and create something that I wish that makes sense. Pretentious and contrived ?? …probably.

Hooning is what bored youngsters do on a quiet stretch of road in Australia (which are not hard to find) or New Zealand. It is basically spinning the tyres and leaving rubber marks on the road, amidst a cloud of smoke. I saw a lot of these marks as I travelled around. You can see the side of my van on the right of the picture. The pub tables were upturned outside the Fat Percy, on West End St. Norwich. I put one of the tables in the picture, liked it, so I introduced a couple more. It perversely made sense! The camera angle of the road was viewed on purpose , to get all the tyre marks in. I darkened the marks to make them more prominent.

This is the newly pedestrianised Westlegate, by Jarrolds department store. I have replaced the plants that are on a raised bed, behind the low brick wall. I was interested in the swirls and straight lines of the brick work., and the colours which I accentuated.  The two mannequin heads were in a fashion shop window, just around the corner, on All Saints. The title became apparent as I was constructing the picture. Look closely, and you can see my reflection, on the jaw of the head on the left.

London Street in Norwich was the first to become pedestrianised in the country, fifty years ago. So it was deemed about time to be refurbished, with the paving work and street furniture replaced. This newly installed curving public bench, can be found at the Bank Plain end of the street. I came across it during the Covid-19 lockdown, so it was unused. I have placed it on the South Quay in Yarmouth, which was equally devoid of people and vehicles. The building/factory on the horizon, is on the Great Eastern Highway (94), along the way to Kalgoorlie WA. I have used it in another picture (Escape), but is a different shot. I distorted the angle of the building , liked it and kept it, hence the title!

I might be wrong,…but I think this at Port Augusta SA. There is an old wooden Quay with the rails tracks for the dock operations. I think this at the Wharflands Esplanade, and the old disused jetty on the river, as viewed from the Joy Baluch AM Bridge. Tell me if I’m wrong! There were gang of kids using the jetty as a diving board, well, for jumping off. The kid you see in mid-air was in another photograph of the same scene. The ‘sky’ is some paving, here in Norwich, on New Botolph St.

This is Perth Railway station, and Alison, my sister-in-law, came to see me off on my trip to Melbourne. I bought a ticket on the Indian Pacific Railway, a trip the would take four days (three nights in sleeper cabin) across the Nullarbor mostly. The big hole is a deep open cast mine in Cobar NSW. Why?… because I thought it looked very surreal, and totally non-sequitur! I have blocked off the right hand side the covered platform shelter, and added the clouds for dramatic effect. The windows were reflecting a jumble of views, so I filled them with an innocuous reflection. The clincher for me was the tiny statue, that I saw in a cemetery, here in Norwich, who is affecting a grieving pose.

I saw this childrens carousel/roundabout, in a deserted play section in Sloughbottom park. I do not frequent children play areas! this was a wet afternoon when there was no-one in the park. I liked it, so I photographed it, without any thought what to do with the image. The corner of a street, (Colman Rd./Muriel Rd.) which was being prepared to be renovated, had the markings made by engineers, to denote underground pipes and cables. I liked the cracked pavement, double yellow lines, manhole covers etc, so I started with this image. I tried various objects to include in a collage, but as soon as put the roundabout on,…it clicked! I have introduced some fictional coloured markings of my own, and I am very pleased with the result.

Collaged views of the sea defence ramparts, surrounding the entrance to Cromer pier. Also are the railings on the steps leading up to the pier. Those angled metal stanchions, with the chains and a runner, belong to the fishing boats nearby. The are, I presume, to help lower and retrieve the fishing nets. I like the composition, and I think its a strong image.

I like this composition for its line continuity and movement. The staircase that is being looked down on, is in the Castle Mall. The zigzag barrier can be found on the footpath, by the river outside St. James Mill (the Jarrold building). The electrical cable was entwined with the barrier. Behind that is a decorative wooden block, part of a street installation, on the Quay Side near Fye Bridge. You san see the question mark shaped metal wedge, which has been driven into the block, to arrest the splitting. It also has some metal banding to keep the whole thing together. I don’t know, there’s some sort of flow …

The island is a collage of new groundworks that were taking place, on Moore Drive near Joondalup. The sun of course was in Australia. This collage is of a pedestrian island. The distressed metal chairs can be found outside the famous Grosvenor Fish Bar, overlooking the green in front of St. Gregorys church. The shadows can be found in the computer! Of course, I twisted the row of chairs to suit the composition.