Digital Collage: Wealth, Power & Industry

RTomens, 2017

The tough-looking driver with eyes the colour of the slates being thrown into the container he'd dropped off stared down at me when I asked if I could take photos of his lorry.
"As long as you don't give me a ticket."
I moved around, looking for interesting machine parts. As soon as you start taking photos people take an interest, especially if you seem fascinated by the everyday tools of workmen. Sure enough, a man in white overalls and safety helmet stood nearby, watching. Turned out they were going to demolish an old building that had been converted into flats long ago. To the sound of slates from the roof clanging into the big container we discussed gentrification. As I looked through the protective fence into dark rooms where ceiling fixtures hung down it struck me as a tragic site. He said it was unsafe, "a death trap", pointing at the anti-burglary bars on the ground floor windows. "After Grenfell..." Right. I took quite a few photos of the lorry's parts. The picture is a treatment of one. I've made several variations and will no doubt work on others.