Mural - East Belfast (after Brassai)
John Baucher
Inspired by the photographer Brassai who documented Paris in such an iconic manner.........
www.flickr.com/groups/utata/discuss/72157602299830728/
The saloon got me thinking about my home town and how i would produce images in the style of Brassai.
Obviously we have a history here in 'Norn Iron' that has been well documented but i have been thinking about the fabric of this city and the territorial markings of "Us and Themmuns".
I do think that alot of the images associated with Norn Iron are often a stereotype (now), the aftermath of a bomb, an explosion, rioting, burning buses etc and of course the army/security forces/paramilitaries on the streets.
Here i have attempted to show a brooding presence. The mural in partial shadow with its flags caught fluttering on a still night. The paramilitaries may well have declared a ceasefire but it would be a fool who thought that they had gone away. Decommissioning has happened but there is still more to come as we move from a conflict society to one of peace.
I will be producing more of these, because of technological advances, the technical difficulties are nowhere as severe as when Brassai documented Paris but i think i might even get my film camera out to produce some B&W hand prints, (its been over a year since i've developed and printed my own work and i'm suffering from withdrawl).
I'm pretty pleased with this and i'm looking forward to finding some more places that have a relevancy and hopefully capture this fine city in the style of Brassai.
Big thanks to Greg over in Utata for the Sunday Salon which has inspired me.
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