One Tree Hill
One Tree Hill is a public open space in the inner suburbs of south east London that is rich in history and legend. Now almost completely wooded, it originally contained only one tree, the ‘Oak of Honor’, which gives its name to the surrounding area of Honor Oak and Honor Oak Park.
Its contemporary renown arises from the fine view over London, which also explains the WWI gun emplacement built to counter zeppelins targeting the City.
My objective was to reveal through photographic imagery the layered history of the place, in the context of its current incarnation as an urban park and Local Nature Reserve.
Visiting the place frequently over several weeks, at different times of day and starting from its several access points, revealed different moods and feelings. Experimenting with different photographic styles and techniques provided a range of conflicting and complementary images that began to evoke the complex nature of a richly layered past seen from the reality and context of the present.
Its contemporary renown arises from the fine view over London, which also explains the WWI gun emplacement built to counter zeppelins targeting the City.
My objective was to reveal through photographic imagery the layered history of the place, in the context of its current incarnation as an urban park and Local Nature Reserve.
Visiting the place frequently over several weeks, at different times of day and starting from its several access points, revealed different moods and feelings. Experimenting with different photographic styles and techniques provided a range of conflicting and complementary images that began to evoke the complex nature of a richly layered past seen from the reality and context of the present.
