London: Brixton

Brixton is the final stop on the south bound Victoria line. It is one of the most racially diverse areas in London. There is a massive African and Caribbean community-which makes up one quarter of the population. They strongly hold onto their roots and traditions while the younger generation are carving a new identity for themselves. 

The diversity of Brixton is oozing from it's colourful streets. My first wander there was a complete culture shock; a mish-mash of cultural references, food, dress and languages that were completely exotic to me. Without realising it I had climbed out of London's dark underground and out onto the heaving streets of Brixton Splash- an annual free street festival which is run by the local community as a celebration of the district's vibrancy and diversity.

Luckily I had my camera with me, to record my first impressions of this crazy and colourful cultural melting pot.

Photographs by Alva

London: com-mute

com·mute

[kuh-myoot] Show IPA verb, com·mut·ed, com·mut·ing, noun

verb (used with object) 

1.  to travel regularly over some distance, as from a suburb into a city and back: He commutes to work by train.

I moved to London a year ago. It took me months to get my head around it's vast 150 year old underground rail system. At first, in 30 degrees of heat I found it stifling and claustrophobic. I have never been so intimate with strangers. Rush hour is an ordeal which you need to leave plenty of time for. The weekly "person on track" announcements remind you how lonely this metropolis can be. Then there's the buskers, the openly intimate couples, the drunks, the fashionistas, the Wimbledon fanatics, and of course the indecisive tourists. London's underground is a platform for everyone; regardless of wealth, status, race, profession, age or sexuality. It is actually the best place to view a comprehensive cross section of the millions of people who live, work and visit London. 

You just need to learn to go with the flow, swim with the tide and you will soon find your way in this labyrinth of colourful faces.

 

 

London: Southbank

Today was the first Wednesday I have had free in a long time and I spent it with Aimeé Matthew-St.John, who not only has a wonderful name but is also a very talented and newly fledged fashion designer. We visited the National Theater in London's Southbank to view the life's work of the innovative and rather fun British fashion photographer, Norman Parkinson. The first images we came across had been taken at locations nearby, which I had just passed on my bus journey to Waterloo, but in the distant past; in the 1950s.

Inspired by Parkinson's photography, the dramatic modernist concrete setting of the National Theater and stimulating conversation about fashion, photography and the promise of my first summer in London. I found myself snapping happily away at the many distracting unborn photographs that seemed to surround me from the book market under Waterloo bridge to the reflective puddles and windows. Here are some of the images I took today, which had the rather ominous date of 13-3-13. The day Pope Francis the 1st was elected and hopefully one of the final days of winter.