Prosperity Projection
Whilst housing for people like those at Grenfell is neglected, across town literally billions of pounds are being spent on new buildings within the City of London. Increasingly the investors like to boast about their wealth with these prominent displays — Class 3(C) 'deemed consent' advertising — depicting their luxurious developments and position within the City. Meanwhile councils across London (and other UK cities) deliberately allow housing estates to become run down so they can be sold off to private developers, breaking up communities.
Street Annotations
These street markings are not permanent, but are sprayed on the street by council or contract workers to aid street repairs etc. They seem to be getting more and more common, and are often very graphic and have become like a form of art or graffiti - my own street was covered with similar markings when the council did some work and it was still there months later. They represent the constant, ever-changing, re-planning and re-building of our towns and cities.
An informal colour code exists amongst the utility companies and contractors, for example red for electricity, blue for water, yellow for gas, green for cable communications, and white for measurements and instructions.
Whitehall
These were all shot in the area around the Department of Culture, Media and Sport on Parliament Street, Whitehall, central London - the perfect combination of workers on cigarette or phone breaks, and tourists fascinated by the iconic red phone boxes. A great place for people-watching and street photography.
Surveillance
Although there are no precise figures, citizens of the UK (and particularly London) are among the most watched in the world. A 2013 survey by the British Security Industry Authority estimated that there were up to 5.9 million CCTV cameras in the country. By 2015, London's cameras made up one third of the UK's total, and increased by 72% in the preceding three years. Big Brother is watching you.
Consumer Society
Images from a culture preoccupied with consumer goods.
Branches
Village Green
I set up a free pop-up portrait studio at the Village Green music and arts festival in Chalkwell, Essex, in the summers of 2016 and 2015. Everyone who posed received a high-res version of their portrait.
