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Friday 14 January 2011

How to add Surrealism to Your Day


Want to become a surrealist for a day? Have Dali & Magritte inspired you recently? Well you could do worse than grab ten oranges and take them out and about in town with you. That's what I chose to do yesterday, on a walk to the station, to collect some pre-booked rail tickets.

It's not my own idea. It comes from a wonderful book entitled, Everything that can Happen in a Day. And I guess I'll be referring to it several times this year, as I add to my New52 experiences. One of it's suggestions is to take ten of these colourful citric fruits to a public place and leave them. I didn't do the latter. Instead I photographed them.

Yes, I got weird looks. Yes a surly youth heckled me about not being impressed with my artwork. And yes I was getting a kick out of it. I was reliving my days at college, when we did all sorts of photographic stunts like this. We dragged bewildered people off the streets to take studio portraits, we spray painted bowls of fruit & we recycled street rubbish into art. Just the fact that you were carrying a camera, meant you could do and ask for the most oddball requests.

I had a rucsac for the oranges (having ten of them to carry around is quite bulky) & my first shot was just outside the station where there were some metal stairs. And believe me, you can't unpack all those oranges, line them up and be discreet whilst you're at it. I then walked past a pile of builders' rubble, next to the swimming pool and took them out again. Then a walk down by the river found railings with perfect gaps. Finally, a steel bench with gorgeous curves called out to me. It's pointless, daft and something everyone should try.

Oh yes, then I made a scrapbook page on it. What more reason do you need?

13 comments:

Sarah said...

Paul, you're a genius. I am immediately adding this to my list of must do things this year.

Love the page you have put together to display your photographs too.

olive said...

what a great idea, I'll have to have a go at that Paul. The photos look absolutely fantastic..... xxx

Papillon said...

What a fun idea, Paul-love it-and the layout is great! Will have to try that one!

Cath Wilson said...

Wow! Bet that was lots of fun. Just imagining the look on your face while you were doing this makes me smile, lol.

JoZart Designs said...

That is such a fun idea to do. It makes you look and makes you think and best of all it makes you create.
I love the builder's rubble/bricks one best but the over all page links together so well.
Jo x

Anne Jagger said...

Well I wouldn't dare do it Paul but I think it's a fabulous creative idea and I love the page that you have created. X

Steven said...

Hmmm what a fun different thing to do.....and even scrap from it.......considering possible variations on a tangerine dream theme!
Hppy New Year Paul

alexa said...

Just stunning! Both the design of the page and the photos - I love your energy and sense of fun, and am so looking forward to seeing more. You are inspiring me to try to get to grips with our camera (again!).

Nigel said...

Brilliant layout, and it sounds like a fantastic idea to brighten up life. I may have to go and find out about the book :)

Neet said...

Paul only you could blog something like this and end up showing us some absolutely fabulous photographs. I think this is a wonderful idea and something I would love to do myself. Watch out California!
Look forward to seeing the next one.

BTW - your LO is fabulous.

Dotpat said...

Well good for you Paul, bet you enjoyed it too. Fab photo's

Michele said...

Ha ha love it! Great photos x

Michael Wurm Jr said...

love this!!