Photo Essay: 'Everyday Aesthetics'

By   Daniel Hawkes - 42818702

                  &

        Daniel Bourke - 42852579

Theme           Dwellings
Sub-Theme   Decay

Music             "Mono Dry acoustic guitars Riff 1"
                         by ANTIQCOOL (2012) - Licensed under Creative Commons
                        Attribution Noncommercial (3.0)
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Rationale

In order to capture the essence of an ‘everyday aesthetic’ we decided to first brainstorm various everyday objects that people would commonly label according their external beauty. In the end the main theme we chose was ‘dwellings’; centering on the idea that a person’s home is frequently being judged according to its aesthetic beauty, not only by its owner, but all those who view it from the outside. We decided however to subvert this concept somewhat, focusing on the beauty that can be revealed through an external view of a dwelling that does not fit these standard public notions of attractiveness. We used the sub-theme of ‘decay’ to frame our photo essay in this way, ultimately ending up with 24 images of abandoned, derelict property’s that showcase an inherent sense of suburban decay. Viewing the cracked wooden walls of the houses, the rusted tin roofs and broken down doors it is obvious that these dwellings have not been considered somebody’s ‘home’ in quite some time. Whilst we all notice at some point or another run-down property’s such as the ones pictured in this essay, we never stop to think that at some stage somebody would have called these dilapidated dwellings their home. Adding a slow, acoustic soundtrack to accompany the photo’s finally gives the audience this chance to stop and reflect on such dwellings for once in their lives; focusing on the beauty of an everyday structure that is far from what society may perceive as ‘perfect’, and yet, perfect in its own right.