Back again!

Hi Suzy,
This blog has been much more round than barbaresi lately. I think your life has been a bit more exciting! Still, I've handed in my coursework and started catching up with the backlog now. I have a long to-do list, but there is light...

The photos of the Iraqi embassy are amazing. How on earth did you get access? Was it a private party? Its very interesting that the furniture, books and other paraphernalia are still there after so many years. Is there a lot of security around the building? Or do you think people are just wary?

Its fascinating to see buildings deteriorating slowly, becoming exposed, weathered, out-of-date. Most buildings which are in use change very frequently and their histories are quickly covered up with new layers of decoration or furnishings. This process seems to get faster and faster. I think my grandparents went through most of their lives with the same set of furniture but now most people respond to new fashions and tastes change within a few years. It is hard to find spaces and buildings that have been left alone. I think, for me, part of the appeal of going to the edge of the city for our project was to be in spaces that have been forgotten and allowed to change in slow and haphazard ways. There was also a sense of discovery in really looking at and absorbing places that are usually overlooked.