Abandoned Objects - Contest Entry
I Have a Fascination with Abandoned Objects
When I was a child, I found the sight of abandoned shoes quite disturbing. I wanted to know the story. How could a person lose their shoes? It seemed so final, so dramatic. There was always an untold story left in the style, manner, placement and location of lost and abandoned clothing. As an adult, I've been drawn to the subject of abandoned objects as an ongoing photographic study and as source imagery for my artwork and design. Shoes will always have a haunting charm but I also have a large collection of photos of other abandoned objects from the area where I live in East London. From bikes to boots to old lamps and chairs left on the street.
Stolen Aprilla
This photo of an abandoned motorbike on the Regents Canal in East London was a startling discovery tucked away on the bankside. Untraceable parts had been removed from this relatively new Aprilla machine and it was left bare in the grass. It was so out of place it was shocking to the eye. I was so taken with this object that I later made a stencil of it and turned it into a digital artwork. It eventually became a design for a range of home interiors and tech gadgets. The ultimate upcycle. (pardon the pun)
the pun is great mate, haha. I think it turned out to be a pretty cool design, and i think it looks cool on the coffee mug.
thanks @artonmysleeve ! I really like the idea that you can turn something unfortunate into something positive. That bike's certainly been on a journey hasn't it !!
do you know what happened to it? do you think that theives have had it and come off at some point? or do you think it just fell of the back of a lorry lol.?
(my guess) is that it was stolen for the parts which have been removed and then dumped naked on the canal. They are sometimes thrown into the canal ! but this one was just left there. This canal (The Regents) in East London is notorious for the things that are left there / in there. guns, money, dismembered bodies. apart from that, it's actually a very nice and popular walk. You can travel for miles along quiet green, no traffic London with a semi-rural feel. It used to be very lonely but these days there are many joggers, cyclists and walkers.
that's pretty cool, because up here in Sheffield, we always think that London is this big place with nothing but cityscape.
I don't think I would like to come across a dismembered body but the guns and money would be nice :)
I'd like to have the money more than the guns but there is always a use for a gun. (like when my daughter brings home her first boyfriend) :) :)
yeah it is a pretty big place (bigger than my home town, Liverpool) but there are some Gems and as cities go, London does have a lot of Green Space (and the river). We live near Victoria Park which the canal runs along. It's an ace park and was originally built with donations from the locals of Bethnal Green. There's also Hyde Park, Regents Park and Richmond Park to name a few. My favourite and the subject of many photo series is the magnificent Epping Forest which is about 20 minutes from Hackney ! A rare gem of English Oak and Beech. The Canal has seen some bad times and some awful happenings but it's very trendy these day with canalside apartments springing up along it's length from Canary Wharf to London Zoo !! (which is a long way)
I think when my daughter(s) bring home their first boyfriend it will be a bit like when Greg Focker meets Jack Byrnes ;)
I have never been to London in my life, I hit 36 years next birthday and it has been something on my to-do list.
love meet the Fockers, I would say that is a good way to deal with the new boyfriend(s).
My friend has two daughters like me and he said that if I knock off their first boyfriends that he would do my girls first boyfriends. lol I really hope he is joking .
yeah I'm sure he's joking. to be honest my girls are so little I'm not even really thinking about such times and I'd like to think that actually I'd be very cool (as long as they can pass my 15 point test) which is probably impossible. you never know.
Really though you should book yourself a train ticket and come have a look. I've been half way round the world and back, been to some amazing places and London is still in my top 2 cities. London / NYC. There's such an international vibe to London. You will love spending a bit of time here. This year, come in the spring when it's nice weather. that's when the city comes alive. and I'll give you some sightseeing tips !! I've been here... 19 years
Wow, @outerground
Excellent submission and transformation of abandoned object into art! By association, somehow, I think of a poem by Elizabeth Bishop that I admire, One Art.
Here is my reading: https://soundcloud.com/yahia-lababidi/one-art-by-elizabeth-bishop
thanks @yahialababidi. I'll have a listen to that tomorrow. what an interesting connection. It's late here now and I must catch some zeds !
Get those sanity-restoring 💤, my man, & poem will still be there when you wake up 🤓
Boy, I'd love to know the story this bike could tell. It doesn't even look in that bad of shape.
this bike was fresh stolen the night before. fairly new machine. had it's tank, seat and fairings removed for a quick sale no doubt. perhaps had a joy ride. nothing to burn so it was just dumped. My friend had his bike stolen from our courtyard around the same time. A Honda 600 Transalp. Lovely bike.. it was found burned out (to remove trace evidence) and fingerprints of the criminal the next day in the local park. such a waste of a lovely machine.. He never got another bike. He figured he'd been lucky, had a couple of small accidents and got a car instead. funny how things turn out !!
everyone on this thread is getting a follow for being just so interesting !
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Thats crazy awesome you made pillows and mugs out of the designs!
thanks @jasonrussell. This design also comes in phone cases, laptop sleeves and other stuff ! I'm just experimenting with it at the moment, seeing which designs sell in which formats. upcycling to the max