More Deep Topographical musings from Nick Papadimitriou recorded and provoked by the National Psychogeographic Film Unit on a walk on the eastern fringe of London through Leytonstone and Wanstead.
After watching our first film, Beyond Stonebridge Park, Iain Sinclair screened an extract at the Royal College of Art alongside clips of films by Chris Petit, Andrew Kotting and Patrick Keiller - company we were pretty chuffed and flattered to be in. He then spoke about Nick and the film when doing an 'In Conversation' with Will Self at Tate Britain in October 2006:
“The cinema of John Rogers and Nick is like a combination of.... the physicality of Kotting with the Deep Topography of Keiller.”
Thanks for that Iain.
I am working on a fuller length film with/about Nick and his 'Deep Topography'. The clip below is a kind of study or sketch, experimenting with a different form to the earlier more spontaneous pieces.
In this episode Nick muses on the "time arc of technology", how the military are the ultimate "super tramps" and most likely read a bit of Richard Jefferies whilst on exercises, and the wonder of the wood ant.
4 comments:
what a sweet film despite what could be taken as a momentary flash of racism early on ("spitting Somalians"). Of course it is Cinnabar moths who's catepillars feed on Ragwort, not Cinnamon moths. Overall though, very charming and filmed with great skill by the maker. Ten marks!
Interesting and arresting. I take it he means that what he felt towards colonels was a prejudice as much as racism is, that in some way he was failing to connect. I read Nick's essay in the Sinclair book London: City of Disappearances and was taken by his yearning for an arcadian past - very different to the styled darkness of so much writing in the field. Nick is not afraid to show his gentle side and his enthusiasm.
Ah, the Paris Hilton of the Psychogeography Set strikes again! The man who's done nothing rambles on about "Cinnamon" moths when he means Cinabbar (as noted above) and "Umbellicas" when he means umbellifas. Need I say more? Well, I will: Papadimitriou continues to churn out his dismal souped-up surveys of derilict areas sans charm, sans insight. We here at the Northern Heights Footpath Association expect more from our neophytes. The myopic monstrosity bigs up WW2 and ants - well, what would all those precious panzer divisions have done to his emmets (as Richard Jefferies called wood ant)? Go ask yourself, Mr Rogers and stop promoting this glorified street-schizo, before its too late.
The strangest coinicidence - i was driving along the Tring-Bushey road this afternoon and I saw this bloke walking by the side. Then i get home and a surf for Leytonstone (where my family originates) fins this. Its the hat and glasses that give it away. Does this bloke live near Tring
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