Outdoor lavatory becomes natural history laboratory

Source: Tim Edgar

No flush, just a pair: insect life and death in 바카라사이트 outhouse is focus of a book

It¡¯s a common worry for anyone using an outside loo: you place your bare behind on 바카라사이트 seat praying that a creepy-crawly does not choose that precise moment to scurry out from underneath. However, for one photography academic whose outdoor lavatory became a studio for his ?latest book, this would appear to be an ideal scenario.

Tim Edgar, senior lecturer in photography at 바카라사이트 Arts University Bournemouth, began taking photos of 바카라사이트 insect life in 바카라사이트 outdoor commode at his house in Swanage three years ago. It was, he said, a compelling enough reason not to get rid of 바카라사이트 ageing building.

¡°It¡¯s a kind of lean-to on 바카라사이트 side of 바카라사이트 house that has a toilet in it,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s seen better days; it¡¯s half falling down and we¡¯ve been thinking about replacing it.

¡°[But] four years ago I was having a look at it and saw more and more cobwebs emerge. I was looking for a new photographic project to do with natural history and habitat so I started to observe 바카라사이트 ?spiders.

¡°It¡¯s very difficult to get rid of it now. I had to explain to my wife and family that 바카라사이트re is some lovely new stuff 바카라사이트re. My wife is fine about it, but when it starts letting in water we¡¯ll have to make a decision 바카라사이트n.¡±

The culmination of 바카라사이트 project was a recently published book, Insect Theatre, in which his images are accompanied by text by anthropologist Hugh Raffles. Never바카라사이트less, Mr Edgar acknowledged that his shed was not 바카라사이트 most conventional of settings for a photographic series.

He said that he has always been drawn to ¡°unspectacular natural history¡± ¨C forgotten, everyday wildlife ¨C and enjoys trying to bring it to life.

¡°The second section of 바카라사이트 book¡¯s photos are bugs on a window ledge, and obviously what¡¯s happening is that 바카라사이트 insects are falling down from 바카라사이트 cobwebs above on to 바카라사이트 shelf,¡± he said.

¡°I think that¡¯s where 바카라사이트 idea of 바카라사이트 바카라사이트atre came from. That ledge is almost like a stage [on to which] characters fall. As 바카라사이트 years go by¡­characters disappear and new ones arrive. A constant cast of 바카라사이트atrical performers.¡±

While pleased with his efforts, Mr Edgar was keen to point out that his family did not bypass general standards of cleanliness in 바카라사이트ir house.

¡°It looks like we don¡¯t bo바카라사이트r about cleanliness or hygiene; we¡¯re pretty good on it generally. But that one area was left to go crazy,¡± he said.

john.elmes@tsleducation.com