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Nice Spot For A Tramp

An art photography exhibition of homeless persons in national spots of traditional wealth and tourism.
  (+27, -3)(+27, -3)(+27, -3)
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I had this idea a few weeks ago when looking up at the Millenium Wheel. I thought it would be funny if I posed for a photo as a homeless guy who beds down each night in one of the pods.

Then it struck me that that was a quite a sad image. Then I got to thinking about how it would be done, the staff would no doubt stop a scruffy rag-riddened fellow from boarding the wheel, and also where else could I apply it. The huge contrast between the wealthy and the poor became a factor, perhaps staging these faux tramps in places like Harrods, inside the Tate Modern (perhaps living inside one of the installations), outside Number 10 (with a little extra planning) and other such local landmarks of wealth and tourism, all the while my accomplice surreptitiosly snaps away.

The project could incorporate international landmarks of wealth and power or national tourism, like the Eiffel Tower, the Statue of Liberty, Fort Knox (though I have absolutely no idea what it looks like), the Vatican and so on.

The 'tramps' would have two layers of clothing, the outer being a suit or some similar outfit of suitable respectability so as to pass any security without raising suspicion, the inner would be your stereotypical rags and scarf etc. Props would be carried in perhaps a suitcase or nice clean rucksack. Upon successful entrance to said spot the transformation would take place and an image of anti-capitalism would be born.

I think the effect would be quite a moving one.

What say you on't?!

theleopard, Oct 19 2006

you won't be taking any pictures here... http://english.ohmy...&rel_no=1&back_url=
[xandram, Oct 19 2006]

[link]






       I like it Bub - not sure what effect you want to have, but if you were careful not to overdo it, keep it subtle and underplayed, I think it could be really something.   

       Might this fit better in one of the Culture:Art categories?
zen_tom, Oct 19 2006
  

       I wasn't sure where to put it, I was looking for some kind of social awareness type category, but I shall duly move it to Culture: Art as you suggest.   

       Of course, very subtley done. My favourite I think would be Harrods, if you can get a picture of a very well to do person reaching over a cross legged tramp to reach his favourite £200 truffles for instance. More ideas would be welcome...   

       The effect is to remind the onlooker that with all the billions of pounds that go into our civilisation in the form of consumer extravagances, symbols of power, and lovely places from which to look at the view, our civilisation has still a long way to go, and alot of things to fix.   

       Meh.
theleopard, Oct 19 2006
  

       was it Harry Enfield who did a sketch of exactly the opposite - middle class yuppies spending their weekends getting drunk and being sick in the gutters of the inner cities alongside the down and outs.
po, Oct 19 2006
  

       Go to a motor show (one where you can actually sit in the cars), and once inside one of the prestige models (Bentley springs to mind), remove your disguise. Your snapper could sit on the front seat, with you in the back, where you would be proffering a copy of the Big Issue.
jtp, Oct 19 2006
  

       I think it's brilliant, utter genius. I love the idea of a team moving in to do a 'homeless hit' - the Millenium wheel would certainly lend itself extremely well to this, what with the bench in the middle an' all.   

       We talk about our nation being 'home' when we're abroad, don't we? What about a slogan like "this is my home", or just "this is mine"? I think the idea of combining patriotism and homelessness could be very powerful. Seriously, I think you could get some very powerful images, and just think what a homeless charity like Shelter could do with them.   

       I would love to see a picture of some poor sod bedding down in front of the Mona Lisa.
moomintroll, Oct 19 2006
  

       PS I wonder if you could get the Pope to allow you to swap the Swiss Guards outside st Peter's for tramps? A couple of hobos guarding that big bronze gate would look very nice.
moomintroll, Oct 19 2006
  

       I've seen homeless photo exhibits, but I really like the contrast here. One such place, the White House. Stand in front and look, then turn around and look...
Shz, Oct 19 2006
  

       It's nice [shz] but there has to be a degree of entry to it, anyone can sit out the front of the White House. Going on a tour of the white house however is a different story altogether, especially if they ever take you round the oval office. Hobo behind the desk anyone?
theleopard, Oct 19 2006
  

       I see. Just referencing a location where I get this feeling you are trying to capture.
Shz, Oct 19 2006
  

       Absolutely, and it's a good one [shz].   

       The patriotism/homelessness idea is a good one too, as it seems to me that homelessness is a problem for all manner of nations.
theleopard, Oct 19 2006
  

       Hey, theleopard, i'll come to London and take the pictures if you want to be the homeless person, this is really cool!
webfishrune, Oct 19 2006
  

       Wow, I just bunned this and the count went from 7 to 9! Spooky simultaneous bunnage.   

       Anyway, cool idea. +
xandram, Oct 19 2006
  

       Great minds think alike? I wondered over taking pictures along the exact same lines before I went to New York not so long ago.   

       My plan was to get a homeless guy with a cup of coffee in wall street/where ever it is that you see hoards of people standing around screens screaming to buy and sell shares (so movies would have me believe).   

       The contrast between the two would be really nice, with the tramp wearing an old trench coat or similar - supping calmly on a coffee, surrounded by hundreds of stressed out business people in neat black suits.   

       Preferably it would be a slow shutter speed - the homeless guy standing perfectly still, while the business people wave and jump and do whatever it is they do.
fridge duck, Oct 19 2006
  

       Do we have a budding photographer in our midst [webfishrune]? Let me do some planning for it and maybe we can make it happen...   

       [fridge], that's pretty much exactly the premise. I think the slow shutter speed would look good. Indeed, great minds do think alike. Although... I'm suddenly worried that perhaps hopelessly neglected, base and uneducated mashed-potato minds think alike also?
theleopard, Oct 19 2006
  

       You mean fools rarely differ? It's a matter of choice.
fridge duck, Oct 19 2006
  

       //Let me do some planning for it and maybe we can make it happen...//   

       Sounds good to me! I am an amatuer photographer but I have not had the chance to do much work with it of late. I have a darkroom for black-and-white film at home although I can still do colour, just need to send the films to the lab. I also have digital but it is not SLR :-(
webfishrune, Oct 19 2006
  

       So bunned. I'm seeing a homeless person in the sales office for one of these outrageous new condo developments, standing in front of the architectural model. Maybe that's too on the nose. I can try to sneak a homeless person in to my next catering gig if someone brings the camera.   

       [fridge duck] it's called the floor of the stock exchange, or just the floor. And it is that crazy.
pigtails_and_ponies, Oct 19 2006
  

       wohoooo ! im the lucky bunner that made the 2nd croissant rise. now how's that   

       But I like the idea inside this idea: that's the fact that people dressed like bums wouldn't be allowed visiting world famous landmarks. That's not true; did you see what most worldtravelers look like? AAaanyway, the sub-sub-invention of a security breach using a normal people's clothing covering bums clothing worn by a normal individual is the thing that really cracked me up   

       btw, have you noticed an idea's attraction for buns during week days?   

       [edit] someone just added while I was writing this
sweet, Oct 19 2006
  

       Vail, Colorado would be a good challenge. I've never seen any homeless people in any of the upscale ski towns. Could be the snowy winters, of course.
discontinuuity, Oct 20 2006
  

       Nice, my first 2-bun idea! I propose that any 2-bun idea I come up with I shall implement forthwith! Watch out {the homeless}, you're about to become topical!
theleopard, Oct 20 2006
  

       Your right [brau], no question. Kind of makes my earlier 2-bun glee look rather self-absorbed. Still, I'm happy.
theleopard, Oct 20 2006
  

       I deleted my first annotation because it was likely too nasty.   

       But, Habitat For Humanity is an idea. LiveAid is an idea. Microcredits is an idea.   

       This, does not seem like anything new to me, and while the crowd here wants a rah,rah feel good moment about how socially aware they are, I'd be more impressed if they donated their estates to charity. Or went to help in a soup kitchen.
theircompetitor, Oct 20 2006
  

       It's more of an artistic product that can then be used for a campaign by, say, Feed The Homeless; elevating their point with thought provoking emotional imagery. It's not, and never claimed to be, a means to combat poverty outrightly.   

       I don't own an estate to give away [theircompetitor].   

       Or, indeed, know this "soup" of which you speak.
theleopard, Oct 20 2006
  

       I don't get this. Everyone know that homelessness exists and everyone knows that some people are wealthy. Juxtaposing these things (a) won't make anyone think "Holy shit! - there's inequality in this cruel world of ours!", and (b) can be seen every day in London anyway - ever seen a homeless guy sleeping in the doorway of a swanky West End shop?
hippo, Oct 20 2006
  

       The contrast is between the homeless and //landmarks of wealth and power//, not wealthy individuals. It would be more like imagery of the starving in North Korea along side a magnificent rocket.
Shz, Oct 20 2006
  

       You'll have something left over when you're done [theleopard]. Leaving it to the family will only encourage capital investment.
theircompetitor, Oct 20 2006
  

       [bigsleep] sounds like one of those pyramid scams to me.
zen_tom, Oct 21 2006
  

       My particular religious denimination hosts annual meetings for the higher-ups from nearly all coastal areas of the Pacific ocean at a local university.   

       Two years ago, for a "montage" one of the gentlemen put on some raggy clothes, got his hair all greasy, borrowed a shopping cart, and thrust his jaw out to one side.   

       Under a musty blanket in the shopping cart, he hid several packs of bottled water, and paper cups. He then hung out in the foyer and proceeded to hand out cups of water to the people as they walked in, and when the service began, he marched onto stage, and offered all of the bishops there some water as well.   

       Quite a few people pretended they hadn't seen him. Others waved him away. About a third graciously thanked him for the water after noticing all the rolling cameras, and one person tried to shoo him away.
ye_river_xiv, Aug 15 2007
  

       Well I am homeless so as part of my creative communication to you I urge you to vote to minimize the size of government. Also create overseas bank accounts.   

       (I know that does not sound artistic, yet it is the contrast to a wealthy person mimicing homelessness to create thought or awareness of social improvability. The future you improve with these suggestions may be of direct benefit.)
beanangel, May 07 2013
  

       I can't work out where on your person you are going to hide a shopping cart...
Ling, May 08 2013
  

       I can't work out how I left the word "succesful" in there for seven years. Duly fixed!   

       (Incidentally, this is a bit of a blast from the past: my third ever HB idea)
theleopard, May 08 2013
  
      
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