Got off the bus today and these sofa’s were waiting for me. I felt like the weekend had begun. I didn’t have my camera on me (lesson learnt!), so I went back home to collect it.

White Trash – 20th November 2009 – Mansfield road

Al came with me but there was a gentleman stood strangely close to the sofa’s. I went to the other side of the road whilst Al bravely approached said gentleman and asked…

‘Excuse me, are these yours?’

‘No, but I’m going to take one’

‘Would you mind awfully if my girlfriend over there (Al points at me and I wave) took a photo of these sofa’s, as she has lots of photo’s of discarded furniture’

‘Sure, no problem’

He moves away from the sofa’s and laughs a little. He picks up the phone to tell his friend about his humorous encounter.

My brother Theo found two doppelgänger sofa’s a couple of weeks ago, two days apart from each other. I think this was an amazing coincidence as I would have said that they were quite unique looking. The only difference between them is that the first one has a broken arm.

First Doppelgänger – 22nd October 2009 – Daytime

Second Doppelgänger – 23rd October 2009 – night-time

I think Theo takes such good photographs! I recently had to answer the question ‘What kind of art do you make?’ and I could confidently say ‘Sculpture and video’ but I felt I had to write ‘amateur photography’. I hope to get better and develop my photography skills.

I’ve begun the making process of the book and realised a few things along the way. I’m really looking forward to getting a final product! This is what I’m hoping for:

– I would like it to be square(ish)

– Single printed sheets (rather than bound) the reason being that you can re-use it in multiple ways (unlike how the furniture was treated)

– Cardboard front and back tied up with string like a package

Katie sent me this photo of this summer chair sunbathing. I cannot believe someone would get rid of this beauty.

These two have been put out with the rubbish.

I want to make the book of discarded furniture by Christmas. I am hoping to print the photos on a domestic printer with recycled paper. Just trying to get my head round gsm’s. I’m thinking 160 gsm but if I’m honest, I’m not completely sure how thick that would make it. Shall go to a stationery shop on a research trip this week.

Note to self: I need to take my camera with me everywhere I go, like an everyday tourist. My mobile phone camera is not good enough quality. I loved the three suitcases in a pile. They looked like they had packed up and left home in search of an adventure.

On the road

Dinning out

Working out

Adam tipped me off about the blue sofa (thanking you) and within a few days of each other I saw the others. I have decided that I would like to make a book of all of the furniture photos, maybe with a hand drawn map of their locations. I am going to try and find some recycled photo paper and maybe print my own. I thought it might be quite good if the photos were loose, maybe tied up with ribbon or string. Not sure why…I guess maybe so that they double as a collection as well as a book.

I have photographed these two chairs in the last week. I have realised that when I take the photos, it feels much like taking a portrait or a group photo, depending on how much furniture there is. I am a very amateur photographer, so all that means is making sure the heads aren’t cut off. I can’t help but personifying the chairs.

I have been thinking about all of these photo’s that I have collected and trying to work out a next step. At the moment they exist in mine and others experiences of spotting the furniture and then in the photograph on this blog. I want to give them more life but am struggling to think how. I quite like the idea of having them in book or leaflet format – but who is the audience and why? My thinking cap is firmly on.

Skipped

In disguise

Above it