Wednesday, 26th August 2009
20th Century Castle
by Hay Procesion
Equipment: Nikon D70
Hay Procesion
Website: Photos
20th Century Castle by Hay Procesion was photo of the day on Wednesday, 26th August 2009. It is tagged Abstract, Black & White, London. You can leave a comment below.
35 Comments
Kirk Jordan
This is by far the weirdest thing I have ever seen on Earthshots. I assume we are looking at highrise structure with deeply layered floors (with balconies)… all from another highrise. It looks modern and primitive (1970′s!) all at the same time.And the sun must be lower than the photogapher. It plays with my sense of perspective, and I may be reading the whole thing wrong. And what is the wording in the photo. It doesn’t seem to be apart of the image in a normal way.
Alice DeFriez
Kirk I agree with you, I don’t get it either… It is interesting, but I am not sure I can fully appreciate it! I would love to read other comments who can give a greater perspective and understanding! !
Kirk Jordan
I have looked at the guy’s work. He’s a filmaker, and his photo work is stunning, gritty, graphic and sometimes harsh. He’b big on sooty texture. But I didn’t find any more clues to this picture.
Mara
Elephant & Castle is a place in London. That writing might be the sign of a tube station…
This shot is quite cryptic anyway!
Su
The Elephant and Castle is an area in the heart of London, a very built up part of the city. There is a statue from a pub (inn) that is an Elephant with a castle on its back nearby. Legend has it that the name originates because someone saw a vision of this walking across a bridge. To me this is mans home (or castle) for some folk and an unusual insight into urban life.
Steven Barr
Its upside down isn’t it?
Malta Photography
it is definitely interesting to see but I would like to know more about this. the image pulls me forth to get to know more.
Pauline Jones
This appears to be an underexposed high rise structure with the name of a tune station written on it.
James Pargot
Intresting photo, it’s a shame due to lack of description the confusion seems to be the main topic of this thread! On that note, I’ve been wondering around the Elephant & Castle area in Google Maps’ “StreetView” and can’t for the life of me work out which of the many highrise buildings this one is!
mike
It looks almost like an apartment building.
Marie Dunphy Harding
If these are the castles, I can’t even imagine your interpretation of the suburbs!
Nicole
Definitely a conversation piece. I’d like to know more about it. Knowing might bring more appreciation.
Ellen Empson
Reminds me of what the inside of a prison looks like..all the cells…..
Rajib Singha
Quirky, crazy stuff! Good spotting Hay.
Renee
very neat!
Martie
I really don’t get it. I don’t want to sound pessimistic, but I don’t think more info on it would heighten my appreciation. But Hay, I’ve been wrong a lot of times before.
Aruna
First I looked at the email and did not get it. Then I clicked on it thinking it would be something to blow my mind off. It did, but I can not say in a good way. Maybe its me, but wierd is all I can think about.
Bobbi
It certainly inspires curiosity! Perhaps that’s it’s meaning….or not. Personally, i like it.
Leslie Parsley
Off-beat for sure. I looked at his other photos and this one, imho, is not as compelling. I don’t think I’d want to hang it on my wall and wish that one of his others was featured today.
chet
Its all about British sarcasm folks. That is not a castle… get it??
It’s rather grim and its supposed to make you feel that way. It definitely worked. Got everyone thinking. Welcome to the grey world.
Sparts
I’ll say what everyone is too polite to say, what a load of crap.
Luke
not sure if anyone else has seen this but look at the pic upside-down. it will all become clear
Leslie Parsley
“Sarcasm?” Definately – the Brits are known for their off-the-wall humor which I thoroughly enjoy. I wouldn’t classify it as a load of crap. While I still think some of his other work gets the satire across more successfully, art being art and satire being satire, it can’t be pleasing to all people all the time. But I still wouldn’t hang it on my wall.
Oscar
I think this is what art is all about. Setting your imagination in motion. This image takes me thoughts through a myriad of guesses as to what’s going on at this particular time. It’s not all surface folks.
Bud Morris
Personally, I thought my computer messed up.
Kirk Jordan
Given the limited space on my wall, I can think of all kinds of things I wouldn’t hang there… but still I am glad to have seen and interacted with them.
Mesquite
I also thought my computer was messed up at first, then I also thought of a prison or ghetto apartments. Well, any way it made me think for a minute!
Gretchen
Isn’t the whole point of art to get people to think, and engage in dialogue? In this case, Hay has accomplished a great deal as evidenced by the type of comments here. I love photos that challenge everyday perspective… lord knows we have enough pretty snapshots available to “see” London. This picture helps me “feel” London, instead.
Carlo
Was this taken in Japan?? You know limited housing space
julie
i love it, no i would not hang it on my wall but i would choose the photos like abyss, or border, or williamsburg baby….those are very cool…don’t stop pushing the bounderies of the ordinary mind…if you stop then normal looks just like everything else nothing that stops and makes you think.
Sam
could this have been taken at night? I’m not familiar with this area, but if there are enough street lights, they would allow for the shadows from the balconies to be cast upward instead of down. It might also explain why the image gets gradually darker as the eye moves toward the bottom.
Katherine Lee Strassburg
Each man’s home is his castle–and no two are alike. I was also confused at first, especially when I couldn’t find Waldo–I mean the elephant. Like it or not, this photo got a great discussion started. I’ve always noticed that some of the smallest, most decrepit houses are always decorated for Christmas or other holidays, and most have flowers planted and tended. My own castle is modest, but we are happy here, and that is what counts! I much prefer my immobile mobile home with our lovely garden to living in the castle depicted. And I definitely love sarcasm–must be my English roots showing.
PajoNate
I like the comments and different ideas people are getting by looking at the image. It’s definitely up side down, but I was not sure why the text was left. To deceive, maybe? Rotate the pic and you get the perspective, even the light in the hallways are lining nicely. Maybe some pranksters put the metro sign up side down and our photographer decided to fix it by flipping the picture.
This way the light is not beneath the photographer as stated in one of the previous posts.
planet lover
I just got back from a UK visit and the feeling I got from this picture was exactly what I felt upon seeing and entering those cold stone castles. They housed many under poor conditions and the owners usually lived elsewhere.
Renee
Nice!