Having already been assigned Brixton for our 'Rough Guide' I feel at a slight advantage, mainly because I had a good sense of the geography of the area (which even in Greenwich, where I live, is at times hazy)! On first impressions of Brixton Village it seemed a bit derelict and uneventful; there were several places closed or closing up already at just 2pm and it stank of fish and raw meat. However, after my friend found a lovely little vintage handbag we got talking to the shop owner who informed us that Thursdays and Fridays were a much better atmosphere; apparently all the shops are open late and there's food stalls and craft stalls everywhere. In terms of the 'Transitions' project I've had a few ideas. I really enjoyed the idea of the Brixton pound and the little quirks that make this small market such a community such as the coffee shops that reduce the price of your coffee if you use your special Brixton mug, it's also very ecologically friendly. There are a few pop-up shops and galleries in the market where you can buy clothes made in the shop and look at local artists' work. Today I was really interested in a shop where the lady produced handbags and clothes using salvaged and recycled leather. She stitched on the irregular shaped pieces of leather in very asymmetric designs with lots of folds to a very aesthetically pleasing effect. Hopefully I can get some photos of these designs shortly but the designer wasn't in the shop at the time and I wanted to ask her permission. There was also a gallery called Viewfinder (http://www.viewfinder.org.uk/) in which there was the work of 3 photographers, Catlin Harrison, Kerry Clark and Kelly Brown in an exhibition called 'Constructs Spectacle and Self'. In particular I loved the animated and intriguing photography of Kerry Clark (pictured below).
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