Book Review: Is Britain Great? Volume 2

Everyday life

A worthy second edition from the Caravan Gallery and once again they perfectly capture the offbeat and quirky nature of everyday Britain. The format is the same as the first landscape book: one photo central on the page (though ten do have two uprights) generous margins and a location caption.

Like the previous book Teasdale and Williams concentrate on the down-at-heel aspects of the country with its decaying buildings, unimaginative (and badly executed) signs, scruffy urban environment and several photos showing people who have to live with all this on a daily basis. I think it's worth saying that these images of Britain would not be to everybody's taste. There is nothing here that could remotely be used as a tourist agency to encourage overseas visitors.

I like these photos from the Caravan Gallery but I've given the book four stars because the contents really haven't moved on from book one, just contributed more of the same. I would suggest that for any future book Teasdale and Williams develop one theme and stick to it. Their work is more than just contemporary snaps of the everyday and their creativity needs to focus on one subject. It could be shop fronts, social housing, the seaside promenade or public recreation spaces. I think any one of these could provide enough imagery for a whole book. Both photographers have established themselves with the two books, now it's time to develop their unique vision away from the current scattershot approach.

Incidentally a book that could possibly complement the work of the Gallery is Living Normally: Where Life Comes Before Style by photographer Niki Medlick. With 322 photos showing the interiors of the sort of houses that Teasdale and Williams have taken of the exteriors. This is the first Teasdale and Williams book: Is Britain Great?: The Caravan Gallery.

Is Britain Great? Volume 2 is available at Amazon (US | CA | UK | DE | FR | IT | ES | JP | CN)

Title spread. As this is a paperback the book opens straight into the title spread.

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