“If you truly love nature, you will find beauty everywhere”
Vincent Van Gogh

Painterly glass across England and Scotland on 35mm film.

Since 2007 more than half of the world’s population lives in urban areas. According to The New Scientist, people living in densely populated cities in the UK are more likely to experience feelings of loneliness. This tends to affect men more than women, and is associated with higher rates of death for those affected. There is also strong evidence that contact with nature in cities significantly reduces feelings of loneliness.

These photographs were taken in densely populated parts of London as part of my daily walks around the city. Most of them were taken with few people around; in Lambeth’s green open spaces, cemeteries and quiet corners of busy streets.

Not My Face Please

“The most transitory of things, a shadow, the proverbial emblem of all that is fleeting and momentary, may be fettered by the spells of our ‘natural magic’, and may be fixed forever in the position which seemed only destined for a single instant to occupy...”

with loving thanks to Kathryn Joseph for naming this collection

It can take some plastic items hundreds of years to biodegrade.

Helium balloons in particular are a hazard to seas and to cattle. In exchange for a short and ‘beautiful’ release, the balloons return to earth to pollute even the most remote of places. There is currently no ban in this country, but some counties are considering it. The low cost of helium contributes to the wastage of the chemical element.

In the UK many plastic bags are now biodegradable and thanks to single-use bag tax, the use of them has declined by 86% (stat from UK Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs , Dec 2018).

Many communities are litter picking due to local government funding cuts. While this kind of activity is not new, the aggresive plastic polution has built up to a point where it is difficult to maintain the litter in many rural and urban areas.

These photographs are taken using plastic and broken cameras and lenses.