Observing the outside world - Flaneur
A photographic series documenting and depicting the physical outside world as as seen in isolation, revealing a new perspective on familiar places and ordinary sights. The still images taken on the singular daily lockdown walk have a tangible quality, focusing on structures, exploring not just the external landscape but the emotional reality of life in lockdown. By focusing on landscape and objects, the experience of life in lockdown is left anonymous, reflecting the social isolation we all face while many are simultaneuosly discovering a closer sense of connection with nature and time outside.
The opportunity to simply be, walk and observe, can often be over looked in our fast paced modern lives. Through the use of UV sensitive inks, when the user takes the book outside, the inner front pages will reveal a continuous stream of reasons to simply go for a walk without anywhere to be. The playful use of action and reaction is designed to encourage curiosity. Being UV sensitive, this discovery can repeat each day, mirroring the cyclical nature of life in lockdown but more importantly the daily opportunity and benefits of going outside to gain a new perspective.
Inside - out . To capture the contrast between the sense of freedom and restriction as we live our lives inside yet are able to better appreciate time outside, the photo book starts and ends with views of a window taking the reader on a journey from the inside, out and back again - the same cycle of observation that took place to create the photography collection.
The final page takes the user back inside, but from a different perspective and with more space and light, echoing the refreshing nature of a walk outside. The use of light also shows the passing of a day as the sun sets, bringing the collection to a close ready to be rediscovered when the sun rises again tomorrow, ready for the whole interactive experience of the publication to repeat.
A postcard collection extracts single photographs and their attatched emotional focus to break down this collection into something simple to focus on. They also invite people to share their own feelings and stay in touch with the outside world, sending postcards to freinds and family, sharing their own observations of daily life in a new and changing landscape alongside photographs of a view they might not otherwise see.
Daily life in l ockdown can feel like a continuous state which is somewhat daunting. Encouraging the user to embrace the positives of time to observe, reflect and create, the One Line a Day project aims to create an enhanced and lasting connection to the physical practice of going for a walk each day while also facilitating social connection and creative community at a time of social distancing.