Monday, June 21, 2010

Back on the Grid...

In line with one of the recent photographic developments, or, more specifically, compositional aspects of, this evening's post-work perambulations offered an encounter with more 'roadkill' object matter found just so alongside a stretch, approaching a curve, of the local double black lines road markings, one such item compressed & impressed upon a drainage grid, the boldness of design of which constitutes by some distance the dominant formal factor of the picture whilst remaining firmly embedded within.


Note also the presence of a second fragment of a 'roadkill' can, to the right of the grid, the sharply folded shard of which appears incandescent in the bright sunlight illuminating the scene as it curves towards the source, &, furthermore, a pair of Jackson Pollockesque discarded cigarette butts also embedded within the picture plane in the finest traditions...

2 comments:

Jazz said...

most interesting - the curvilunear, wave-like nature of the 'grid' structure in contrast with the parallel lines - emphasised by the strong, directional light... the 'roadkill' becomes embedded/re-framed both visually and physically within the wider picture frame, a previously cylindrical then flattened object is re-formed suggesting movement, a ripple, a wave...

on a side note, have you written to the council regarding the inordinate amount of street litter found on the roadside, or is just a town of perambulating drinkers?

James Rowley said...

Very astute observations, Jazz - even after only a few examples, I've become aware of the variety of forms into which the grids have been cast, which might also become a feature that has 'legs' in terms of the development of the project. This curved one certainly has something of a directional & compositional 'energy' in contrast with the steadfastness of the parallel lines.
One thing that hadn't yet occurred, however, was the wave-form into which the 'roadkill' object has been transformed - might well be worth picking off & collecting for the purpose of drawing as pleasing aesthetic objects, as a change from the more jagged, angular shapes the flat objects have, although that would of course compromise the whole 'flatness' endeavour...

In a bit of a Catch-22 with regard to bringing the litter problem (which is appalling in that all these locations where matter is found are residential ones, even if some are 'peripheral') to any official attention - if they cleared up on a regular basis, it might leave me bereft of object/subject matter!
I wonder if the issue is a local one or, as suspected, a general UK one, such are cultural & societal (anti-social) attitudes. In terms of the litter-droppers themselves, I fancy it's probably a case of both perambulating & driving-&-slinging drinkers!