Photos by William Eckersley
Stucco Press
Dark City – Bend in pedestrian tunnel, SE1
BIO:
I studied at LCC and St.Martin’s, both part of the University of the Arts in London, and work in large format photography. My projects include Left London (2006), an exploration of derelict sites around my home city; U.S.80 (2010), which focused on the first coast-to-coast highway in America; and Dark City (2011), showing the de-peopled urban environment at night. My work has been exhibited and featured in various shows, competitions, magazines and websites, as well as being held by collectors such as Nike and Sir Elton John.
At night, a once flat world illuminated by dull, grey daylight is transformed under the cloak of darkness. Garish spotlighting casts deep shadows and silhouettes, with hues of pink, cyan and orange. The stage is devoid of its human players and seems to showcase the scenery’s forgotten beauty, revealing a stark and otherworldly aesthetic in a city drained of its occupants. The built environment, deliberately contrived to service the needs and desires of humanity, makes sense in the context of teeming human life – without this however, its inherent functionality no longer visible, our urban spaces appeared to stand forlorn, waiting to be judged on their genius or folly, beauty or ugliness. This is a series of photographs depicting London at night, and was shot in my home town over the last four years.
Dark City – Broken fence and rubbish, SE1
Dark City – BT Tower, W1
Dark City – Cement Plant, SW8
Dark City – Chimney and aggregates mound, RM9
Cones and barriers under bridge, W2
Dark City – Elevated view down road with housing blocks, SE2
Factory, tree and moon behind silhouette, RM9
Goalposts in the distance, E10
Dark City – Housing block entrance with plants, SW1
Dark City – Housing block silhouette and moon, SW1
Lake and four housing blocks, SE2
Dark City – Light escaping from container doors, SW8
Looking up in city courtyard, EC3
Dark City – Spotlit steps from fire exit, SE1
Dark City – Swan on nest of rubbish, SE2
Wastepaper basket and tyres in front of fence, RM13
Dark City – Victorian housing blocks, SW1
