Discarded Intimacy

On my way to hand in this project, guess what I found? One pink glove just lying there ready to be taken. Unfortunately I did not have my phone with me, so I just drew the outline of the glove and went to borrow someone’s phone. I don’t even cringe anymore as I pick up the dirty glove (I was going to write smelly but surprisingly it was not smelly!). Usually I try to find a plastic bag to put the things in before putting them in my bag, but now I don’t bother anymore. I think I really need to disinfect my bag!!

The night after library hours (at around 22.00) I found these pants hanging from a tree on St. Donatts Road near the college. I couldn’t mark it on the tree but my friend had a great idea of drawing the outline of the shadow on the pavement. And it looked pretty nice in the end. I did not take the pants because we thought that it was there as a memorial or something because it was hung in such a way with a plank of wood in front of it. No writing though. I thought I’d leave it and see maybe it would still be there in a weeks time.

This single bra strap was found on the pavement by Goldsmiths Library on New Cross Road on a very sunny Saturday afternoon. Many people were around, and usually I would be too embarassed to take a picture of it and pick it up. Fortunately I had my lovely house mate with me and it’s funny how being with other people gives you more confidence. So I did it. Yeah, people were looking but no one said anything. With a look of disgust from my friend I picked up the dirty bra strap and stuffed it in my pocket.

Walking home from Goldsmiths one night towards Brockley I saw a mound of something dark at the base of a tree on the pavement on Millmark Grove. I went over and I saw that it was a jacket. Who would drop a jacket there. I took out my spray paint and marked the outline of the jacket and took pictures. The jacket left an interesting ghost shaped outline over the tree and on the pavement. The ghost of the jacket, remained behind after it is taken away. After I packed up my gear, a few steps ahead there was a furry hat on the ground! Maybe they are owned by the same owner? Shedding his or her clothes in the heat of passion and just forgotten about them? Well, that’s my theory anyway. I took them both, of course. When I got home , I looked at them more closely and I found out that the jacket is a jacket for children (’Vintage Size, 7/8years’ it says on the label)

It was weird to see this baby jacket on the railing of the stairs leading up to Greenwich Cutty Sark from Island Gardens. I guess the baby was feeling a bit too hot and the parents took the shirt off and left it? Or forgotten about it? Hmm.. The temperature was a bit high today. It looked like the shirt was there just moments ago. I drew around it with my chalk and took the picture. No one was around (well.. to be honest I was waiting for people to pass before I took pictures of it. I really need to get over this feeling of shame of picking up clothes from the street. But then agian.. who wouldn’t? In fact, I have never seen people pick up clothes from the street. Usually people see it and walk past it. Some don’t even see it at all. I guess it’s a common thing here to see articles of clothing lying around on the street, the previous owner nowhere to be seen. I never see this happening in jakarta. It would probably be gone in 5 minutes! Maybe the thought of it belonging to someone else, and was worn by someone else just moments before they were dropped on the street is a bit too disconcerting for most people. Something to explore there..

I have to admit, I saw this scarf weeks ago, but I did not have my chalk or spray can at the time, and I also thought that it was too dirty to pick up. So today, after a beer at Amersham Arms I decided to go and ‘claim; the scarf for my project. I was right, it was filthy!!! It was lying on a junkyard just across the street from The Amersham Arms. i took t, put it in my shopping bag along with brand new sandals I just bought from Topshop and went back in the pub for another drink (and to wash my hands, of course!)

I was walking to my bus stop on Hackney Road at around 2 am when I found this belt. As it was a weekend (Sunday night) the street was quite busy. Many people were walking past, I noticed some looked but most did not even notice. The belt was in a very good condition. I imagine it getting dropped unknown to the owner.

I was walking home fast from the library. It was a very cold night and I saw this sock. Outside someone’s house on the pavement on Millmark Grove. Should I have knocked and returned the sock? Maybe I should have put it on the doorstep or something, but I took it. I don’t think it will be missed that much. And it might not belong to the person living in the house, right?

I actually felt kind of bad when I picked up this cap. I think someone will miss it very much, judging from the worn look of it. Well.. I guess now a days everything is sold looking like you just picked it up at your local charity shop. I tried to draw the outline of the cap using my chalk, alas it did not work. There was no solid ground to draw on. I found this under a tree, so it was mostly pebbles, leaves, or soil. Hmmm should have brought my spray paint as well.

This was found one pleasantly warm night on Kingsland Road, on my way to the bus stop to catch the 48 bus back to London bridge. First Thursday of the month. Didn’t want to pick it up as it looked really dirty. I think I need to disinfect my bag after this.