The Road
Many examples exist of 'the road', be it in still picture, film or in the written word. Film examples include 'Easy Rider' (1969,Peter Fonda), 'Convoy', 1978. Novels listed in Tim Lott's Guardian article include 'On the Road' (Jack Kerouac 1957). An internet search yielded me with too many examples but from this I conclude that 'the road' gives a form along which a narrative is based and the journey made may be also one of passage of time, character development, geographical changes, and may show events -local and national- and the many people who share the road. Railways and rivers are also made use of in this way.
Photographic books include The Great North Road (Paul Graham 1983), A1: Portrait of a Road, (Jon Nicolson, 2000) which sets out to document people living along the 400 mile road.
Photographic books include The Great North Road (Paul Graham 1983), A1: Portrait of a Road, (Jon Nicolson, 2000) which sets out to document people living along the 400 mile road.
This great river documented in Sleeping by the Mississippi (Alec Soth 2004) is more about what and who lives on its banks than about the river itself. Originally his series of photos was to be 'From Here to There' with each photo leading to another. The metaphor of the river with its meandering path seemed to fit his way of working. His home town is on the river. Whilst his pictures are often sad he hopes some are also optimistic. He is looking into worlds other than that of America portrayed by the movies.
In Yangtze-The Long River (Nadav Kander 2010) Kander documents the extraordinary progression of China showing the development of industry alongside the traditional way of life along the banks of this great river. There is also a change from the mouth of the river as his story takes one to the its source. Nadav Kander born, Israeli, lived in South Africa and England identifies his rootlessness with the vast population of Migrant workers in China. He chose the Yangtze river as a place to base his work on because he says "a river is a perfect metaphor for constant change". The sadness he felt whilst on his 5 trips to conclude this photo essay shows in the photos. He is not a documentary photographer, works intuitively and likes to express his views in his photographs whilst leaving enough questions unanswered in each frame for the viewer to respond to and understand in his own way.
In Yangtze-The Long River (Nadav Kander 2010) Kander documents the extraordinary progression of China showing the development of industry alongside the traditional way of life along the banks of this great river. There is also a change from the mouth of the river as his story takes one to the its source. Nadav Kander born, Israeli, lived in South Africa and England identifies his rootlessness with the vast population of Migrant workers in China. He chose the Yangtze river as a place to base his work on because he says "a river is a perfect metaphor for constant change". The sadness he felt whilst on his 5 trips to conclude this photo essay shows in the photos. He is not a documentary photographer, works intuitively and likes to express his views in his photographs whilst leaving enough questions unanswered in each frame for the viewer to respond to and understand in his own way.
Watch a film - Jack Kerouac's film of the book "On the Road".
This film is only loosely connected to the Road. There is some travelling, hitch hiking, shots of wide open spaces, different weather conditions to be contended with both on foot and driven in a car. Some shots are included of a bus ride. The people about whom the story revolves are at a time of life when they are footloose and fancy free. They are seeking the meaning of Life through enjoyment. It starts with a reunion of school friends who progress to a wild bachelor life style featuring girls, drugs, sex, jazz and essentially no commitment. One by one the lads find their own way in life except the charismatic leader who ends a rather sad and lonely figure. My understanding of this is, although the Road figures as they traverse the United States it is more a "coat hanger" on which the metaphorical road of life story is hung.
This film is only loosely connected to the Road. There is some travelling, hitch hiking, shots of wide open spaces, different weather conditions to be contended with both on foot and driven in a car. Some shots are included of a bus ride. The people about whom the story revolves are at a time of life when they are footloose and fancy free. They are seeking the meaning of Life through enjoyment. It starts with a reunion of school friends who progress to a wild bachelor life style featuring girls, drugs, sex, jazz and essentially no commitment. One by one the lads find their own way in life except the charismatic leader who ends a rather sad and lonely figure. My understanding of this is, although the Road figures as they traverse the United States it is more a "coat hanger" on which the metaphorical road of life story is hung.
Exercise 2:2 Explore a road.
Having read the course notes and looked on websites of the photographers' work mentionned I am beginning to look on the road as more important that a route to connect two places. If there were no roads, present day people would still find a way from A:B just as our forbears did.
Footpaths, tracks, bridges all bear witness to this. However, every route has its own feel to it and connects people to one another.
The photographers mentionned above describe two rivers as metaphors, and roads can be looked on in this way too. But what of an ordinary road in a given locality -
Footpaths, tracks, bridges all bear witness to this. However, every route has its own feel to it and connects people to one another.
The photographers mentionned above describe two rivers as metaphors, and roads can be looked on in this way too. But what of an ordinary road in a given locality -
For this exercise I took my camera along a familiar route, which is usually travelled by car. In the first two images I remarked the speed restriction and the speed the cars were moving. This was less than comfortable for the pedestrian. As I walked I looked to left and right noticing street furniture, signs, people, countryside that would normally not have been observed as a driver. I observed well tidied front areas, and back to nature areas. A wedding was in progress so I spent some time taking a few shots as a 'fly on the wall' - the waiting wedding car, the local observers the photographer arranging the bride, the cars leaving, spent confetti on the ground, flowers hurriedly being removed from the church presumably to decorate the reception, the emptying car park - usually a field. From there I headed along footpaths to join another road. From here I could see much development preparation, sawn down trees, scarred field, and a new fence with new plantings of trees and hedge. I observed litter in a brook. Another path, another roadway- this time for steam trains. It is lovingly being restored by voluntary labour and although the dumper truck is in evidence, it was being manually loaded with the dumped rubble. Joining a new road the contrast between mown frontages and natures roadside verges was in evidence.
Having completed my shoot I expected to be disappointed with the outcome, as I did not feel I had seen anything remarkable that would normally invite me to lift my camera. However, I quite like number 7 - the dog fouling sign, half hidden, drawing me to think that where possible owners might not pick up if out of sight, as in a field. Testimony to that was a further sign in the car park field warning of dog fouling! Unfortunately I did not record that. No.31 - I enjoyed the bluebells bravely making an appearance in spite of all the rubble that had been dumped, and number 33, I liked the serene smile on the passenger dumpers face whilst the driver looks intent.
Of these images the ones of the wedding might be of interest to the participants and those of the housing development and railway restoration could be of interest in the future as the building progresses.
Having completed my shoot I expected to be disappointed with the outcome, as I did not feel I had seen anything remarkable that would normally invite me to lift my camera. However, I quite like number 7 - the dog fouling sign, half hidden, drawing me to think that where possible owners might not pick up if out of sight, as in a field. Testimony to that was a further sign in the car park field warning of dog fouling! Unfortunately I did not record that. No.31 - I enjoyed the bluebells bravely making an appearance in spite of all the rubble that had been dumped, and number 33, I liked the serene smile on the passenger dumpers face whilst the driver looks intent.
Of these images the ones of the wedding might be of interest to the participants and those of the housing development and railway restoration could be of interest in the future as the building progresses.