I watched a BBC ‘World About Us’ documentary this morning. Simon Robinson, a PhD student of photography tweeted the link and as I studied the author and presenter as part of my degree project work I’ll share it also. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6rL7-LqQhjE
This film was shown in July 1975 , produced by the BBC in Bristol as a ‘Colour‘ production. Not all TV broadcasts were in colour in those days and this print certainly shows what I call a 1970s spectrum. The film was made in response to Mabey’s book ‘The Unofficial Countryside’. The book had no images nor did Edgelands the came after it written by Paul Farley and Michael Symmons Roberts. The written word in both books had enough latent imagery within them or at least the words acted as a catalyst to release the images I already had in my mind to enable me to shoot and continue shooting a body of work that is as current today as it would have been had I been studying photography (as I should have been) back in 1975.
Apart from the haircuts and fashions of the day, much of what Mabey presented has not altered much. Certainly the urban landscape has changed a little. No longer do we see urban meadows on bomb sites or redundant gas works. Rather, we have our own commercial war collateral of redundant industrial or distributional areas that have come an gone as with the tide as our industrial might has waned and we become a nation of faceless service providers.
The post-war apocalypse has morphed into a post-industrial one. Yet, despite our worst efforts, the plant and animals that Mabey shows us in this film are still inhabiting our urban and edgelands habitats. Much of the success of these species is based upon our waste and continues to do so. I think I agree with Mabey when says that he suspect that weeds will inherit the world.
Yes, time wasting is over now I need to step up a gear and get on with the production of more Edgelands images. All I need now is for a few highs to settle over East Anglia and the medium and large format gear will get an airing.
An indicator image that supports the basis of Mabey’s film is shown here. New location – Stowmarket.
