South of the river

During lockdown photographer Frank Watson explored the area by the Thames stretching from Vauxhall to Tower Bridge, including Waterloo and Southwark. From his project SE1 etc.:

During the late Nineties Waterloo changed with the advent of Tate Modern and the tube station at Southwark. Waterloo lost its slight aura of decay and took on a global persona. Hotels, restaurants and a nightlife lifted it into a playground of leisure and escape.

During lockdown I spent time exploring the labyrinthine streets between Vauxhall, Waterloo and Tower Bridge. The area is a rich and complex mix of industrial buildings that were part of the London Docks, large council estates often hidden in the back streets, and more recent architectural developments that makeover old warehouses or loom like Ballardian fantasies.

The names of many of the streets defy rational explanation. Tennis Street, Hankey Place, Old Paradise Street, while the incongruous nature of the architecture leans towards the surreal. Walking these streets has been an eye opener, and the camera has helped to make sense of this part of the city and its capacity to both shock and surprise.