Not only are the bus company not upset about my encouraging you to spent 11 hours on the 11c on the 11th of November, they’ve said I can borrow a bus to do some publicity shots. That’s right, let me borrow a bus. And today while doing a bit of 11-related research I found out that there was a song that was “a tribute” to the outer circle — not only that but it’s on the interweb for downloading for nowt. Outer Circle by Woodbine. See you on the 11C in three weeks.
On the eleventh of November we’re inviting anyone with an interest to spend eleven hours on the eleven bus starting at eleven am in “Birmingham: It’s Not Shit’s 11 11 11”. We’ve mentioned it before, but now it’s got it’s own official website — elevenbus.co.uk Please go and sign up, there’ll be more stuff going on nearer the time.
The eleven bus route was considered to be one of the hundred best things about Birmingham in a supplement put together by the Birmingham Post. In a very BiNS style they also gave props to the Aston Expressway, the Inner Ring Road — in fact, to blow our ragman’s trumpet for a moment you only have to consume the local media these days to see how much closer to “the people” they’re getting, I’d like to think our six years of mild sarcasm has contributed to that. While eulogising the famous circle they mention our 11-11-11 project: 11-11-11 will soon have a proper home at elevenbus.co.uk, for planning and a sort of “pre ride” collection of thoughts. Book the eleventh of November off work now. The 100 Things pull-out can be read online – slowly, it’s packed full of images – here. If you click on ‘menu’ you can download a PDF which should be a little easier.
In the photograph as art stakes, there are sort of two extremes: the high-concept shoot, with props make-up and lighting and the high-concept concept where the photos might not really be the whole story. The Birmingham Photographic Grid falls into the later camp: A photographic grid aims to make a meaningful visual statement about an environment by adopting a systematic approach. What does this place really look like? What does this place feel like? These are the questions being answered by a grid photograph. The grid imposes a system that may sometimes locate the picturesque but is just as likely to find the industrial, the rugged, the new, old, boring, threatening or just ugly. The “industrial, the rugged, the new, old, boring, threatening or just ugly” sounds like a fair description of Birmingham, and these photos are all of these things – mapped out on a grid based with the eleven route. See if you can guess where this is (and then find it on the grid):
