Concrete Jungle - Photo Essay

Within an urban environment, the existence of concrete typifies the mundane and the ubiquitous, the everyday and the ordinary. It forms the basis of our infrastructure, our roads, footpaths and buildings. Taking this as our foundation, we explored transforming concrete through capturing it splayed with light and shadows, its intricate angles and lines, its texture and form, to create the ‘everyday aesthetic’. Playing with perspective and close-up shots, we aimed to create striking, iconic and powerful images. This was enhanced through our editing in iPhoto, which used high contrast and saturation to enrich and deepen the colours, adding tones of golden yellow and steely blue, or transforming the image through an impactful black and white adjustment. The use of colour, or lack thereof, demonstrates the transition from warm, earthy tones of classic forms of concrete, to the cooler, harsher contemporary and ultramodern urban landscapes. Constructing the video, we chose upbeat, modern techno music with a strong pulsing vibe, reflecting both the urban, modern ‘concrete jungle’ and the bold, dramatic theme of our images. The complete effect aims to transform the mundane, dull and largely ignored feature of concrete in our everyday lives, constructing the everyday aesthetic through capturing and enhancing the simple and overlooked beauty and dramatic appeal of an urban concrete environment.

Sophie Rosenthall (43052045) and Laura Webster (42852137)