Your body of work thinks back at you
4 days ago
- The photographer has been taking pictures of benches for years, initially out of fascination with objects designed for people but unused.
- Upon reviewing the archive, they noticed benches were changing with features like mid-seat armrests, separated units, and uncomfortable curves—hallmarks of hostile architecture.
- Hostile architecture (anti-social street furniture) has become more common over the last 20 years, with notable examples like the Camden bench.
- The photographer unintentionally documented the redesign of public seating to exclude homeless people, one photo at a time.
- Photography builds an archive that eventually reveals patterns not consciously intended, contrasting with deliberate illustration.
- The camera does not create the thread; curiosity lets in details that remain unnoticed until a later realization.
- The photographer became an involuntary witness to decisions made by municipal officials to make public space less habitable.
- Reviewing a body of work over time allowed the photographer to understand what they had been witnessing all along.