Concrete Communities
This is my newest project showing how people take ownership of space with no financial investment. I have witnessed several pop up groups since lock down that meet in public space and create events with no infrastructure having to be built. Its that concept of making something your own, but leaving it as you found it that I find so inspiring. I guess like kids in a wood you have the imagination to travel to a different world and time but you still leave it as a woodland. Nice that ‘adults’ are doing the same more frequently
Roller Skating in Crystal Palace Park
At the end of July 2020 I was taking an evening walk through Crystal Palace Park and I saw all these people of all ages roller skating together. Some were beginners and some have been skating for over thirty years. During lock down when gyms etc were closed was when the group stated. A chance for people of all ages, backgrounds and levels to unite in a space with no investment other than time, a boombox and some wheels.
Mile End Skate Park
Meet Sam, firstly a skateboarder and I guess not so much secondly but coincidingly member of Yardsale. Like many great things, Yardsale exists because of boredom. In the winter of 2012, two of the boys from Yardsale noticed there were not many skate brands representing the UK skate scene. The lack of representation of what they were into and where they were from should be seen.
I think they started primarily making skate videos and creating a brand that is known almost across the globe. From what started as a run of 5o shirts in Slam City Skates now sees a website bearing more than 50 different types of merchandise. I know this photo doesn’t show this story but what is important is that we do affiliate ourselves with a space. This space for Yardsale was East London and frustratingly not represented as it should be on the skate scene. This string identity is what helped create the brand.
Swerving
This is where I can feel like an old man but apparently it's kind of a sport that has gone absolutely huge globably via social media.
The principle is to pop a wheelie and just before you smash into a car or person you swerve, ideally millimters from your target.
These stunts are called "swerving" or intentionally biking in the path of vehicles while performing tricks. Sometimes, large groups of teens will do this together and although I sound old I love how a dead space in South East London can be used to film some tricks and then shared in a spaceless virtual community globally. What is even more fascinating is that the best people at this can end up getting invited to competitions. Basically from local community to global virtual and then back to a real world event again shared via social media to people all over the world.