Solitary Canary
The Canary Wharf building is surrounded by a range of other office buildings collectively creating an uncertain visual hubbub to capitalism.
Canary Wharf at night, 2007
All that changes is the names on the top of the buildings depending on the stage we are at in the economic cycle of boom to bust. When the original Canary Wharf building was built it stood alone for some time striking a solitary point on the horizon. Below are examples of the birth of Canary Wharf.
Canary Wharf from Whitechapel, 1990
Canary Wharf from the DLR, 1991
Canary Wharf from Poplar, 1990
Canary Wharf from the DLR, 1990
Canary Wharf from the top of a bus on East India Dock Road, 1990
Street Football
Boy with football Brick Lane, 1988
Woman with green shirt and pink football, Brick Lane 2010
Boy with football receiving his school meal, Whitechapel 1986
Woman with newly purchased football, Whitechapel 2003
To the Trains
This wonderful instruction with the helpful tiled hand can be found at the top of the stairs at Stepney Green underground station. It has probably survived from the early 20th century. I wonder if the railway builders of the time had a kind of ‘letraset tile system’ comprising of hundreds of tiles which could be compiled to instruct commuters and speed them on their way?
Tiled sign, Stepney Green Station 2004
For the past thirty years I have photographed my journeys on the London Underground. As a London based photographer I could have up to 6 assignments a day. The usual would probably be half that.
Looking through my negatives it would not be uncommon to find shots of a politician followed by a dozen or so shots taken on a carriage on the underground. In retrospect it is the shots on the underground that have currency for me now as I always found ordinary Londoners more interesting than self consumed politicians.
Underground couple on the District Line, 1998
Tired passenger on the District Line, 2007
Moving train on the underground, 1992
Moving train on the underground, 2004
Brick Lane Amplified
Over the years there must have been many different sounds of music, protest, conversation and industry on Brick Lane. Here are a few ‘sounds’ I have captured with my camera.
Woman with loud hailer outside the Brick House, Brick Lane 2008
Most loud hailers used on Brick Lane are connected with protest. This woman was advertising a show in the Brick House.
Protest against the BNP at the top of Brick Lane, 1992
Following the election of a BNP candidate to Tower Hamlets Council there were regular protests against the BNP in and around Brick Lane. Here local Councillor Ghulam Mortuza addresses protesters.
Playing the piano outside the second hand furniture hut, Brick Lane 2002
It’s extraordinary that the hut in this photograph has survived all the redevelopment that Brick Lane has seen over the past years. It can still be seen next to the bridge on Brick Lane.
Michael Myers playing a Barrel Organ on Brick Lane, 2001
Local resident and musician Michael Myers plays a Barrel Organ during the 2001 Mela. Barrel Organs were a regular feature on Brick Lane and Bethnal Green Road up until the late 1940’s. They were even used to help campaign to raise money for the fight against fascism during the Spanish Civil War.
East End Film Festival
The East End Film Festival has launched its programme for this year. The brochure is full of old black and white images from my archive and the picture below wraps around the printed programme.
Man with teddy bear on settee in Cheshire Street, 1985
The sight of the man on the settee with the teddy bear drew me like a magnet. Over the years I have become quite intimate with this Cheshire Street composition as I printed it a number of times. In the 80’s I always processed my own film; this could cause problems for me in the dark room as I would sometimes leave the film in the developer for a few minutes longer than was required. This meant the negatives would often emerge with a high contrast finish. The image above was developed for too long and so I had to print it on ‘grade 1’ low contrast paper to compensate for the high contrast negative. It could take me hours to get the right tonal balance on the print. It takes a few seconds to sort it in photoshop!
The man on the settee with the teddy bear has never ceased to intrigue me. I’ve always found the street as the natural habitat for practical surrealism! This is particularly true of the East End of London. You can catch a number of other black and white images on the web site of the East End Film Festival.
