Privately public
(Private bench: Glasgow, Scotland)
Here is yet another example of my street finds. At the other end of my street, there is a cul de sac of more modern housing, complete with it’s own little car park and slightly enclosed green area. Either I have never noticed them, or these ‘private property’ signs have simply appeared recently. The signs themselves affected the speed of my friend, Ian’s photography – hence my slightly embarrassed demeanour. I shot over to the benches, sat for enough time to snap a couple of sots and then we shuffled off, hoping not to be caught as trespassers.
Putting such a large notice on each bench seems like a waste of resources that could be better spent planting more shrubs, or erecting a tiny fence around the seating. The practice feels equivalent to printing a serial number across the chest of a prisoner’s shirt or placing a large ‘DO NOT TOUCH’ sign on something small and delicate. The very act of placing the signs on the benches renders them less liable to be used for relaxation. I certainly wouldn’t like to sit on something so blatantly, selfishly owned. In addition to that, is the privacy enforced? If a resident were to have spotted me, an outsider, enjoying their privacy, would the police have been called? Another ridiculous piece of ‘public’ design that appears to be a complete waste of time – except that amuses me.
Sometimes I think about mapping all these signs, graffiti and urban quirks, but the wonderful element about them is their transiency; they have this ability to crop up unexpectedly and to instantly confuse and delight. I’m not sure I would give up that spontaneous joy to share the silliness with more people. They would lose their spark of surprise in the recording.
– Today Rosie is drawing, mind mapping and watching a French film in Glasgow, Scotland –
