The secret lives of benches..

So I was wondering aimlessly back from town, when I came across a disposable camera tied to a bench with a note on it.

Unfortunately the film had run out so yours truly couldn’t take any pictures but after some sniffing around on Facebook, turns out the owner of the disposable camera is a young illustration student called Rachel Lowe. “The Secret Live of Benches” is the name of one of her final year projects – check out her blog here to see some of her pics. Cheeky grins, lunch boxes and tattoos aplenty.

“I tie a disposable camera to a London bench. You take the pictures. I develop them. Voila”

http://www.secretlivesofbenches.blogspot.com/

Not only is it horribly cute, but I like the simplicity of it. I like that it’s collaborative.

I’ll be the first to admit, I know very little when it comes to ‘conventional’ canvas bound art. I’ve never been able to fully appreciate it and as a result I can’t stay for long in an art gallery without getting a touch restless. But when it’s experiential, as a collective and on mass..it feels a little more accessible and engaging. And it does seem to get people talking.

On a more extravagant tip, Antony Gormley’s ‘One And Other’ project in Trafalgar Square has been running since June. There’s a live stream on the website – a plethora of oddities, eccentrics and vagabonds on display if you have the patience. Apparently there are in the region of 34000 applicants, all pining to get up by Nelson and flaunt, yet there are only 2400 places left until the exhibit closes in a few days. Popular indeed.

Even in ad land, the use of the collective has proven to be a trendy mechanism – case in point being T-Mobile’s infamous flash mob campaign at Liverpool Street Station and their recent sponsorship of Oprah’s 24th Season Opening a few months ago. Reaction? The Liverpool Street Station dance has had over 14 million views on Youtube (not quite Boyle – but definitely a lot) and Oprah is more popular than water.

Collaboration? I’m sold.

Clip.