19/06/2012

Conversations on the Coast by Nick Hand

I’ve been holding off on the book front for a little while now, my library has become a bit out of control and there are books involved which I haven’t even read yet. Saying that, this is the first time that I’ve been really enticed into buying a new publication, this specific one was produced by photographer Nick Hand and is titled “Conversations of the Coast”.

It documents the journey he took on his bicycle from Bristol in the summer of 2009, travelling over 6000 miles around the coast of the British Isles. He talked to many different individuals along the way and focused mainly on makers and creators, whether that be a boat builder, weaver, cheese maker, or even a bicycle mechanic. Each one had their own fascinating story to tell. Luckily Nick was there to document the spaces with his fantastic photography and also record the conversations with these creatives, all were placed in this hardback book and made into a series of videos which you can view on the Slow Coast website.

Obviously I’ve not actually read this book yet but I’ve watched most of the photo films with these different craftsman and they’ve got some really amazing stories to tell. The photographs are also another inspiring element as well and really bonds together the project, without that we wouldn’t get a sense of their work and aesthetic. This book is definitely going on my wish list.

So I decided to pick up some photography both of the book itself, which gives you a quick peek inside, and some higher resolution photos taken by Nick Hand of the different tools that these fine individuals use. If you’re interested in buying the book head towards The Dept. of Small Works where you can purchase it, they also house plenty of other imagery as well.

www.departmentofsmallworks.co.uk
www.slowcoast.co.uk