Polaroid Diaries - The "Signs" Series

Poison Laid.
Monday, October 01, 2007, 9:54 AM

Dear Diary - welcome to the country...

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POISON.
Monday, October 01, 2007, 9:24 AM

Dear Diary - mmm...blackberries...my favourite...

Sign: Malmsbury.
Sunday, September 30, 2007, 1:08 PM

Dear Diary - As we grow older, what we have to say is not always communicated with the clarity and intelligibility of our youth...

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Two Signs in Conflict.
Sunday, May 06, 2007, 8:02 AM

Dear Diary - You say what you say, and I'll say what I say...we might be close, but we won't always agree...

	Looking upwards I notice a DANGER signing standing out against the blue of the sky. This is a warning that here is a spot where there are CUSTOMERS CROSSING. As my lens takes in this scene I notice (but not too obviously) that there is another sign in the near square of my vision and this other sign brings some element of conflict into the situation as I am informed that there is NO THROUGH ACCESS here...I am disconcerted by the thought that I could be a "Customer Crossing" (under the protective auspices of the DANGER warning) but still find myself in the situation where I have nowhere to go...
	Crows, pigeons, parrots and sparrows compete with one another...nearby a man can be heard dismantling and "liberating" some metal tubing from an entertainment unit that has been left at a "RED SHIELD" collection point...the crows continue to mock him and the pigeons coo to one another... Listen to a sound bite from this location... (*.mp3 format, 940KB)
	Things smell a little dank and musty here...there is a hint of gas from a a gas meter at the base of the brick wall...
	The asphalt and bricks here are slightly warm to touch as the morning sun heats them up...they are oddly rough and smooth at the same time...
	The taste is (as in most cases) very similar to the smell - dank and musty with a slight edge of gas...

Bus - Moonee Ponds 472.
Saturday, May 05, 2007, 7:18 AM

Dear Diary - want to get to where it all happens? Take the 472...

	Orange...yellow...white...I am confronted with a behemoth of a vehicle - eyes blazing, stomach rumbling, throat growling...it edges forward threateningly, inch by inch...I can see through its translucent flesh the interred bodies of those it has already devoured, some of them still moving...some looking little more than lifeless already...
	There is a rhythmic hissing that can be barely heard above the persistent growling of the beast...it edges forward from its lair and immediately is yelped at by a passing, smaller creature...it coughs back a half-hearted response - it feels no threat from the minor inhabitants of this jungle...with a roar it lazily moves off along its regular hunting track, seeking its sustenance for the day... Listen to a sound bite from this location... (*.mp3 format, 940KB)
	This monster's breath blends with the exhalation of all the other creatures that pass through this part of the jungle...the smell of intermingling fumes...it is hard to tell what exactly is its poison of choice, but it has obviously had a heavy night of it, as evidenced by its belchings and rumblings...
	A breeze is rising and gently strokes the metal surfaces of my casing...the steely surface of the bus is cold and vibrates under my touch with the threatening murmuration of its inner workings...
	There are so many creatures, big and small, here that it is hard to taste anything other than the acrid interfusing flavours of their morning petrol and deisel breath...

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1.0 M - Mooney Valley Pool, Essendon.
Thursday, April 19, 2007, 11:19 AM

Dear Diary - Just so you know how deeply you're getting yourself into this thing...

	The pale blue, plastic mesh of the pool's guttering is littered in patches with duck and seagull pooh...I am thankful for the black numbers "1.0" and that one accompanying letter "M" - this sign reassures me that if I only extend my tripod legs a short way I will be able to stand without getting any of my internal workings wet...the pale, cream coloured tiles delineate the edges - here is a step down; here is the water's edge...
	Parrots and trams, cars and trucks...seagulls have taken up residence in the pool and they a noisily claim their squatters' rights... Listen to a sound bite from this location... (*.mp3 format, 940KB)
	As I get closer to the pool's edge I notice a distinct change in the fragrances that surround me...I can definitely sense the moisture and hints of animals - perhaps a legacy of the seagull pooh...maybe they realise what the bins are going to be used for and are donating some guano for blending in with the "grey water"...
	The water of the pool is cool and has a slightly oily, soapy, slippery feel...not the crisp feel of fresh and clean water...the squishing of some duck pooh beneath my tripod's feet hints at the reasons for the water's softness...
	I have had the taste of pool water often enough to be able to glimpse the tones that would be tasted here, although I am sure that there would be a richness of flavour here, full and rounded with the spices and gravies of the last few months of weathering and wildlife contributions...