Sign Overload

The connection, albeit slightly tenuous, is pine trees. The photo originates from 2003 taken on my old sadly departed Nikon 995, which was great for street/cowardly photography.  Advert spotters will probably be able to date the scene more accurately.

I like the juxtaposition of the word “elegant” with the disorderly nature of the scene.  Perhaps it should be transplanted into Dismaland.  There are a number of dismal elements of the modern world in evidence: the CCTV camera, sign overload, the weirdness of British Gas being an electricity supplier, unattractive graffiti, rust streaks on the painted wall.

The passiveness of the mother and child walking past the scene reflects the commonality of these elements in built-up areas…and, if they’re local, the fact they’ve probably walked past it a few times! There are thankfully some people in local authorities whose work it is to improve the urban environment. Twelve years later the space with its new “green wall” looks like this.

Even this solution could however be viewed by some as not right for the area, due to the loss of utility of advertising space for local businesses, but it’s probably a more calming scene despite the continued existence of official advertising space. I wonder how much bigger the name-plate for the advertising provider “JC Decaux” will increase in size over the next 10 years?

By the way it’s interesting that the current advert has something in common with the most popular prophecy about the end of the world, ie the apocalypse is likely to come from the sky.

(I’m not sure if the two traffic cones that were waiting to cross the road ever made it to the other side.)