Book proposal 2 - (Tweedle Hill Road)

Elizabeth Chandler

Directions Within Photographic Communication 

Book Proposal 2

An additional proposed idea for this assignment comes from the work of Daniel Meadows who’s recent exhibition really inspired me. In particular the series of work titles “June Street” which was a project Meadows worked on in the 1970’s with fellow student Martin Parr.

The significance of the street in the project was that is was used to film Coronation Street prior to the building of the set at Granada Studios.

After looking at the photographs at the exhibition, and in the book which i later purchased, I felt i had been given a rare insight into an important period in British culture. To me, the images provided a sneak preview into a time i wasn’t here to experience.

The images stand as a form of historical documentation, telling tales  on past interior design, fashion trends, the family hierarchy and roles within the domestic sphere.

I want to do the same kind of thing Meadow’s and Par did in the 1970’s. As not on would it be an extremely interesting contrast, but more significantly i think it is important to document the ‘now’.

Were are currently in a time where people are so concerned with creating for the future, and drawing upon the past, that the present time is just flying by. The current amalgamation of past and present, the fusion of elements of design and lifestyle that are all merging together, is in itself an important part of today’s culture. One which i think should be documented.

The photographs i will produce will not visually match the images which i am drawing upon as inspiration for this project. The main reason being, the photographs by Parr and Meadows are a kind of typography in that they all look very similar. This is because the street used was a row of terraces where the layout of the living room means most houses were set out in a similar way. 

Simple things like the development of fireplaces which can be moved around the living room means the layout of each house i visit will be extremely diverse.

This in itself will be an interesting element to the project as it will illustrate how the development of interior design has radically altered the family home.

In addition, the pictures by Parr and Meadows display the family hierarchy, for example in some of the images we see mum, dad and their children. The domestic roles are evident in the body language of the subjects and the way in which they chose to place themselves for the picture, in some examples dad sat in his arm chair and mum perched on the chair arm besides him, with the children on the floor in front. 

Today many men and women contribute equally to the financial stability of the household and so i would expect the hierarchy to be less apparent in the body language and placement of the subjects.

Book aesthetics - 

I think for this project a fairly large book would be appropriate, i would like to display the images full bleed on one page along with information about the residents along side it.

Possible titles - 

‘Tweedle Hill road’ - As this is the name of my street where i will be taking the photographs.

Text content - 

As mentioned above i would like to have information about the residents to accompany the images.

In addition i would like to have a look into the history of Tweedle Hill road, when the houses were built and what the land was used for prior, ect. This would then be included in the book, either as an introduction or pages in-between the images to break up the content slightly. 

Intended Audience - 

This book would appeal to a variety of age groups and not only those interested in photography.

For example the residents of Tweedle Hill would be interested in the book as it is a documentary about their home and generation.

For this reason the book would be available for purchase from numerous places, It wouldn’t only have an audience interested in art and photography. In fact it would attract people simply interested in history and social documentation as the book would have supporting text relevant to the project.

Practical considerations - 

I would use my Nikon Dslr to shoot, using a flash gun/speed light to achieve some fill flash.

Although Meadows and Parr used film, i think it is a significant element to acknowledge the shift and development in photographic equipment and create a different aesthetic more appropriate to today. 

Approach - 

Obviously Meadows and Parr’s June street project will play a huge influence in this assignment as will the book which i purchased from the exhibition at the National Media Museum.