Sirkka Liisa Konttinen - Byker Revisited

Lilserenity

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Hiya,

After a chance comment on my Flickrstream I was intrigued about Sirkka Liisa Konttinen's Byker Revisited book, and bought it off the strength of the preview.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Byker-Revis...4424/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1306680988&sr=8-1

Have to say it's a fantastic book, entirely engaging. The original book from what I understand, just called Byker (after the area of Newcastle on which the book studies) was published in 1983 documenting the late '60s-1970s Newcastle where a major redevelopment involving architect Ralph Erskine (a name and architect's work I have already encountered in the MK stuff, as Eaglestone is one of his creations) and a massive team that set out to redevelop a tightly knit community of terraced Victorian housing by apparently keeping the community intact as they re-moddeled the area. The apparent message is that failed, and it beggar's belief what the outcome had been if there had not been a commitment to keep the community intact!

It's a series of the original (or some) of the black and white works of the old Byker from the late 60s and 70s, compared with in colour, portraits of people who are new and who remain and the landscape of it all.

It's an utterly fantastic book with excellent narrative throughout.

I think I have enjoyed it so much because it's in the vein of exactly what I enjoy most about photography, a defined area, and social commentary through pictures of the everyday.

Highly recommended, especially at 17 quid.

It seems to continue to prove that being unique is somewhat out of the question, but being good at what you do do is perhaps a more important and realistic goal if you want to get your pictures out there in some way.

Anyway enough evangelising!

Vicky
 
Thanks for the recommendation; I just requested it through the local library system.

Did you know that there is a companion video for Byker? Available only in PAL so I can't view it. :(

Have you read any of her other books? Step by Step, Writing in the Sand?
 
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