Thursday, December 20, 2007

Snapshot(s) of Belfast - Wed 19 Dec - lunchtime

I'd caught the back of these creatures (statues?) from the other side of the window. So I nipped in the door of the Belfast Hilton to get a better view.

It was a mini nativity scene. Very colourful, and no doubt there's a story behind the artist and the inspiration, but there was no obvious sign to explain beside them. Update: there was a sign - just that I missed it the first time. The crib was made by pupils in years 8 to 11 in St. Gerard's ERC - a co-educational school for children and young people aged 4-16 with special educational needs. The crib is based on the work of the Impressionist painter Paul Gauguin in the colours and traditions of Tahiti.

As I took the photo, my gaze was distracted by the sight out the window past Mary's head. A team of Santa's elves offloading stuff from the back of a car!

Five minutes later, walking down past Cornmarket Arthur Square, there was a busker dressed as a bunny playing outside Dunnes, early for Easter! Not sure how much playing he was doing, and how much the keyboard was taking credit. But one of many surreal sights Belfast can throw up at lunchtime.

Later on, at the junction of Callender Street and Castle Lane, a more festive bunch were tunefully filling the street with carols.

Made me think that we should choose a day in January, and document Belfast that lunchtime. Photographing all the buskers and street collectors that we can find. Taking a social snapshot of Belfast that hour. Capturing the building works, the fashion, the weather, the buses, the people. A mad idea - one definitely worthy of Letter to America of old - but it's grown on me during the day.

2 comments:

Jett Loe said...

Hey, that's a great idea! :) wish i could be there to participate!

Unknown said...

I've always rather liked this idea. Amazingly, there was a recent episode of - wait for it - "Midsomer Murders" (it was Sunday night, I was tired, brain was off, enough excuses) where this idea appeared.

A photographer who took the same shot down the village main street at exactly 9am every single day. Now I prefer the idea of documenting a given area for one short time period.

So now you have to pick a date and then I say I'm working, which is what always happens with anything interesting