In praise of grey

I wrote briefly about grey here in October. Now, deep in winter, I have developed it a bit further, taking photos of some grey things or places.

This is the pavement in Canonbury Square. Fractures and dampness give the photo a lot of detail. Even the dark grey tone is quite blueish. I like dishevelled road surfaces due to their haphazard textures. They change every month.

This is a shutter on a disused building. I was initially attracted to the grid-like pattern of spots, then saw that the metal is slightly reflective.

This is a flattened box which I have just primed, oddly with white paint. But the light is poor, and so all the little beams of light have become faded and weak. This is similar to the tarmac with creases and rips. I don’t want to paint over it now.

This is a building entrance on Arundel St. I was initially attracted to the shutter closing off the steps – what’s behind it? It is also nicely grey, although I have removed the colour completely.

This is Old St – I saw two big blocks of grey and lined them up. The empty billboard would make a perfect place for a mural – just in shades of grey, of course.

Best until last. This is a wall on the side of the Overground line near Brick Lane. Some one has (a) decided to paint the concrete white, then (b) added a block of grey on top. The shapes are great, simple and inspiring.

About these ads

• Grey
• tattiness