The next element of the Paintings in Hospitals Soundscape Poster Project took us all off to the Museum Depot in Acton Town. Jumpers on, and avoiding the washing of buses prior to the open weekend, we explored the depot and had a chance to see some of the posters from the 40,000 strong collection. Gloves on, we were able to take a closer look. Participants were then able to compare their drawings from the first day of the project with the original posters (below).

Museum Curator Robert Excel was on hand to give one of his enigmatic tours of the depot which served to exceed the participants expectations. Then the difficult decision came – which poster will we choose to create a soundscape for? Due to the tour being so interesting and general enjoyment, time ran out and I set the task for the group to email me with their choice of poster, with 3 reasons for their choice and sounds they would like to record.

Join us again to find out about how we get on at Royal Botanic Gardens Kew.

Written by Laura Service

Filed under: Collections, Communities, Exhibitions, Posters written by Access to Art
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Again, a big thank you to everyone who has contributed so far to Agnès’ artwork, ‘The Land of Hopeful Commuters’! We now have almost 550 responses to the question ‘Where do you hope to be?’ – brilliant.

Our ‘Sense and the City’ exhibition has now finished and staff have been busy removing the exhibits, leaving space for us to embark on the ‘Mind the Map’ exhibition installation. Yesterday I met with Agnès to look at the space where her artwork will be displayed, to take into account any final adjustments that will need to be made before the work goes to print.

If you’d like to be part of this amazing artwork then it’s not too late to contribute – we’ll be collecting responses for the rest of the day. You can complete the questionnaire online at: http://www.ltmuseum.co.uk/landofhopefulcommuters

Filed under: Collections, Communities, Exhibitions, Journeys 2012, SotW written by Michelle Brown
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‘The Land of Hopeful Commuters’, Agnès Poitevin Navarre’s anecdotal map of London, is progressing nicely. We so far have almost 500 responses – thank you London! Some really beautiful/sad/funny/quirky contributions towards an artwork that will be a very different and insightful addition to the ‘Mind the Map’ exhibition, mapping the hopes and aspirations of London’s commuting public.

We’re still collecting responses so if you haven’t had a chance to contribute yet then it’s not too late. Agnès is looking to get responses from people all over London. At the moment, we’re particularly keen to hear from residents in:
Harrow
Ealing
Barnet
Hounslow
Enfield
Redbridge, and
Newham

You can contribute to ‘The Land of Hopeful Commuter’s’ by completing the questionnaire online.

Filed under: Collections, Communities, Exhibitions, Journeys 2012, SotW written by Michelle Brown
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This Q&A is part of the Sense the City Flickr Project. For background on this project see Sense the City – Flickr Project.

Tube story by Danielle Houghton, 2011

Tell us about the inspiration behind your photo
My inspiration behind the photograph was simply to capture the feeling and look of London.  As a visitor to London I always enjoy the vibrant diversity of people and the buzz about the place, I never tire of observing people.  I was quite taken with the ladies clearly at the beginning of their night out as they were having an animated conversation with lots of oohs and aahs.  In contrast beside them caught up in the technology we all enjoy was somebody whose look I thought was very ‘London’ I loved his ring shades and vest and I could not resist documenting that moment.

How long have you been involved with photography?
It first excited me as a teenager over 20 years ago and has remained a passion ever since.  In the years where I did not have access to a camera I immersed myself in photography books so I always stayed connected.

What equipment do you use?
At the time I took the photograph I used a Nikon D70 DSLR which alas is now in need of repair.  Currently I either use a Nikon Coolpix 5400 or a Canon EOS 1100D.

What inspires you?
In terms of who inspires me there are many photographers I follow and enjoy, to name a few – Martin Parr, William Eggleston, Stephen Gill, Rinko Kawauchi, the Street Photographers in In-Public and many contacts I have made through using flickr.

In terms of what inspires me, it is mainly the excitement I get from human observation and the thrill of trying to capture interesting people and unique, funny, or surreal moments.

What is your preferred subject matter?
Besides photographing my children my closest affiliation is to Street Photography, i.e. capturing strangers in a candid way in public places, though occasionally I am happy to shoot anything that catches my eye be it an animal or architecture etc. People in essence are unique and  provide endless opportunities to photograph. I find myself drawn to oddities and humor, connections and clichés.  I hope to reveal the fun and fascination and even sometimes sadness of life.  I try to present moments and coincidences in a visually pleasing manner.

Plans for the future?
To keep on taking photographs no matter what.  I would like to develop a few different series – for example I can’t wait to return and take more shots on the tube.  I also like the idea of taking random bus journeys and seeing what unfolds, maybe even leaning towards a social documentary series.   Ultimately I would like to build up a strong portfolio of Street Photographs and publish a book one day.

Describe your photography in one word.
Fun

Further information

http://www.flickr.com/photos/larking-about/

Filed under: Collections, Exhibitions, Interviews written by Anna Creedon
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We’ve had a fantastic response so far to ‘The Land of Hopeful Commuters‘ – thank you! So where do Londoners hope to be?  ’Where the currency is trust and everyone is wealthy’, ‘Baking brownies blissfully by Battersea before brunch’ and ‘Right here, right now’.

If you haven’t had a chance to contribute yet you can do so online at: www.ltmuseum.co.uk/landofhopefulcommuters

Today I filmed some of the London Transport Museum staff (thank you, willing participants!). Watch their responses here: LTMuseumvideo on YouTube

Filed under: Collections, Events, Exhibitions, Journeys 2012, SotW written by Michelle Brown
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‘Where do you hope to be?’

We’re collecting your responses to this question at http://www.ltmuseum.co.uk/landofhopefulcommuters, which will be used by the artist Agnès Poitevin-Navarre to create a new artwork for the Museum’s ‘Mind the Map’ exhibition!

I’ll be spending today in the Museum’s galleries with one of our volunteers, Darren, asking Museum visitors where they hope to be. Last week we did a survey of Museum staff to get their responses, which Agnès used to create the below example of how the final artwork might look. Here’s some of the Museum staff’s responses, just to get the creative juices flowing:

- Picnicking in the park this summer, laughing with friends in London Fields
- New York
- In a place where my achievements outweigh my ambitions

I’ll be posting updates on the project as it develops. Look forward to receiving your response soon!

Filed under: Collections, Communities, Events, Exhibitions, Journeys 2012, SotW written by Michelle Brown
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This Q&A is part of the Sense the City Flickr Project. For background on this project see Sense the City – Flickr Project.

See Red by Geoff Holland, 2011

Tell us about the inspiration behind your photo
I had been at an Anti War rally which walked from Trafalgar Square to Downing St. I was on my way home.  I’d taken a lot of photos of the rally in the square and of the protest outside Downing St. Taking some photos of telephone boxes and tourists was a light relief. I took six shots in quick succession centred on the two telephone boxes. I love telephone boxes and struck lucky with the convergence of symmetry and colour.

How long have you been involved with photography?
I took my first photos with my Mum’s Ilford Box camera in the 1950′s. I learnt how to process black and white at Blandford Secondary Modern School and my summer job before starting an engineering apprenticeship in 1962, was camp photographer at Rockley Sands Caravan Holiday Camp near Pool in Dorset. Photography continued to be one of my pastimes for the next few decades and I have a lot of photos in the attic, but I only rediscovered the enthusiasm of those early years again, when I took up digital and four photogenic grandchildren came along. Shortly after I was introduced to Flickr which is a great outlet for my ego!

What equipment do you use?
I have a Nikon D40 (usually regarded as an entry level SLR). On the day I took ‘See Red’ I had bought a new lens, a Sigma 17-70mm at Spectrum on Tottenham Court Rd, one of the few real camera shops still existing. I also have a Sigma 70-300mm which I also bought at Spectrum, as I did my D40 and my first digital camera which was a Konica Minolta Z5 Dimage. I’m always thinking about ‘up-grading’ but find the D40 reliable and light and the Sigma’s extend it considerably too.

What inspires you?
I like to record things, capture moments, document what I see. To get a satisfying image, with symmetry and good proportions. Colour and light is key too and I am drawn to it. Walking home from work tonight the early evening below zero clear sky was brilliant and luminous and I thought, now if I had a tripod with me…… mind I also thought there are limits to the sacrifices I’ll make in the pursuit of my pastime, it was very cold! Flickr has also enabled me to share my photos with other enthusiasts and I like that too.

What is your preferred subject matter?
I love buildings, birds and butterflies and everything which lights up my life. To some extent it goes with the season, recently, I’ve been photographing a lot of ducks.  It also hinges on what I’m doing and where I am. I’m always on the look out for a photogenic subject. I mainly use natural light. I’ve no experience of specialist lighting and only recently learnt a bit about taking photos in low artificial light without flash.

Plans for the future?
Maybe, projects with a more focussed approach. I’m inspired by a series titled ‘faces and non faces’ by a photographer on Flickr who goes by the name of ThePhotoSchool (Natalie Clark).  In many of the shots taken in Camden Lock the main subjects are looking away from the photographer, but the excellent composition and colour and body language still makes for powerful images.  Maybe do a course or two when I have more time. Maybe a portfolio of prints……

Describe your photography in one word.
Rewarding

Further information

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mygazebo/

Filed under: Collections, Exhibitions, Interviews written by Anna Creedon
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On Saturday 7th January the Young Consultants took a trip to the London Transport Museum Depot.

We had the amazing opportunity to work with curator Claire Dobbin, and we were luckily granted the chance to help select the pocket maps to appear in the upcoming exhibition “Mind the Map”.

The Depot, based in Acton Town holds the history of London Transport from pocket maps & posters to the last buses and trains of their kind, which eventually receive funding for repair and gets used as exhibits in places like the LTM.

During my action packed day at the Depot I learnt a lot of information on the history of transport which gave me the answers to many unanswered questions.; such as how the underground map we use today was created.

I explored the different types of pockets maps from the past 200 years, looking at various different designers and how and why they have changed.

I’d say the LTM Depot is a mind-blowing environment for transport fans everywhere and would definitely advice you to attend the public open days. For information on these days check out www.ltmuseum.co.uk/whats-on/museum-depot/events.

Filed under: Collections, Exhibitions, Journeys 2012, SotW written by Vicki Pipe
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In one week from today you’ll get the chance to contribute to a major artwork that will be displayed in our upcoming Mind the Map exhibition, 18th May to 28th October.

The artist Agnès Poitevin-Navarre is working with us to create a new map of London based on Londoners’ responses to a mystery question that will only be revealed next Wednesday 8th February in the Metro newspaper and on the Museum’s website. We’ll be collecting responses from Wednesday 8th February until Friday 10th February so watch this space! If you’d like to be one of the first to receive the questionnaire then register your interest by contacting michelle.brown@ltmuseum.co.uk.

Agnès Poitevin-Navarre

You can read more about Agnes and her work at http://www.agnespnavarre.com

Filed under: Collections, Communities, Events, Exhibitions, Journeys 2012, SotW written by Michelle Brown
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This Q&A is part of the Sense the City Flickr Project. For background on this project see Sense the City – Flickr Project.

Better to just ignore him..., by Stephen Banks, 2011

Tell us about the inspiration behind your photo
I visited London back in December, partly to do a tour of the galleries and museums, but also partly to expose myself to better street photography opportunities. My home town in a place called Bridport, in West Dorset. Although it is a lovely place to live, it doesn’t have anywhere near the kind of buzz and spontaneity of a city like London.

How long have you been involved with photography?
Pretty much all my life (all 22 years of it so far). I had always been fascinated with whatever camera my mum or nan had, but never really got taking photographs until I was in my teens. My passion for photography came about during one general studies lesson in the first year of Sixth Form at The Blue Coat School in Liverpool. We were told to go out and take macro photographs and whoever came back with the best one won a prize. I hadn’t chosen art for either GCSE or A Level, so my result wasn’t very good. Needless to say, I didn’t win. But I was inspired. I could do something so fun and it was considered as work!

What equipment do you use?
The majority of my professional work at Watershed PR is done on a Nikon D7000 dSLR with a variety of prime lenses. I also do a fair amount of video work with this. Street photography is handled with my little Panasonic Lumix GF2 and 14mm pancake lens, although I have until recently ventured out with cameras such as a Lomo LC-A and my beloved Leica M3. The film cameras don’t see the light of day much any more, but I still keep a fair collection of them.

What inspires you?
Young people getting out there and giving it a fair crack. There’s plenty of creative kids around here in Bridport, but they either don’t have the drive to push themselves, or they succeed and leave the area because of the lack of jobs. I’m sure it’s different in the city, but with the job market as it is at the moment, I know I’m extremely lucky to be in a job I enjoy so much.

I also subscribe to around 50 creative website RSS feeds, so that keeps my creative brain ticking over in my spare time. Beats sitting in front of the television all night!

What is your preferred subject matter?
Candid street photography. I love seeing how people act on the street and I react accordingly with my street photography. Oddities in behaviour, juxtapositions, visual puns, all that jazz

Plans for the future?
Get a car and a house. Oh, in terms of my photography? Well I’ve just completed a time lapse starscape project in the local area called Bridport by Night: youtu.be/cbjeXWMNZ5s – as much as a video can do around here, it’s gone viral. So, once the buzz dies down about that (I set a target of matching the number of views with Wikipedia’s population count of 12,977 for Bridport), I will be working on a series of short films and trying to improve the first version of Bridport by Night with some new shots.

Describe your photography in one word.
Spontaneous

Further Information

Stephen Banks Website: http://scousebysouthwest.com
Stephen Banks Flickr Photostream: http://www.flickr.com/photos/23048898@N06/
Stephen Banks on Twitter: @DorsetScouser

Filed under: Collections, Exhibitions, Interviews written by Anna Creedon
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