The sound of silence
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The haunting, industrialised marshes of the Thames Estuary are often a forgotten landscape.
The marshland habitat, with its scars and skeletons of industrial and maritime history, is set for dramatic change as large-scale development takes place in the area.
Now its sights and sounds have been captured in a new exhibition that combines photography and video work with ambient and spokenword pieces.
‘Soundings from the estuary’ will run for the length of the London Festival of Architecture this month.
Three artists have worked to bring the visual and aural experience of this endangered landscape to the middle of the capital.
Photographer Frank Watson’s work deals with the spatial relationship between architecture and landscape. Scenes include abandoned industrial structures and debris among the natural marshes and mudflats.
The photographs muse on the landscape as ‘a point of stasis’ between the modern expansion of London and the rising seas.
Spoken word artist Germander Speedwell has collected words and terminology relating to obscure factual subjects, and has arranged spoken pieces on the estuary’s bird life, geography and modern shipping activity.
Sonic and digital media artist Dave Lawrence presents recorded sounds from the area, dwelling on the isolated silence of the marshes.
Soundings from the estuary, Novas Arts Contemporary Urban Centre, 73-81 London Bridge Road, London SE1 ONQ until 20 July, www.soundings fromtheestuary.com
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