Rough Guide

BOND ST. TRAFALGAR SQUARE. OXFORD ST. TOTTENHAM COURT ROAD. PICCADILLY CIRCUS.

For the first part of the ROUGH GUIDE PROJECT i was given a specific area (listed above) within London to study and to establish a 'Rough guide'.

My perspective on this brief was formed by mapping the stated area by following the movements and activities of pigeons. In essence if you saw mating pigeons you were most probably in Trafalgar square. So with a case of romanticism (perhaps not that romantic considering it was based on pigeons) i tried to disintegrate the usual view of London to a more naturalistic view.

The second part of the ROUGH GUIDE project, i looked towards three specific objects in the given area;

•  A POSTACARD from the Museum of Everything of a royal guard fainting by Dominique Theate, Untitled (2010).
• A 'COLLECTABLE' CHINA PLATE of Kate and William from a souvenier stall on Oxford street.
• A HIGH END WEDDING DRESS in a window display near Bond st.

On first reflection you can see an obvious theme emerging, The postcard depicting a line of royal guards- firstly establishing the Royal theme, Then followed with the china plate printed with the image of Prince William and Kate on their wedding day, Combined with the wedding dress, Only compliments and strengthens the Royalist influence.

However once you review these objects in conjuction with the area and initial enviroment they were found in diversities are immediatly exposed. If the china plate from the souvenier stall was placed within the museum compared against all the unique pieces it would become obvious that this 'collectible' plate is purely one of a billion cheaply man-made tat that is so readily often on any tourist spot in London. Also the wedding dress worth thousands becomes cheapened if it was hung up on a tourist stall placed next to the union-jack-over-sized hats. Lastly, If the postcard depicting a fallen guard was placed within the high end wedding dress shop window, The luxury that is established and desired is ironically deminished by the image of a fallen guard breaking the window shop set up of perfection.