Charlie Munro - heelflip. Photo: Alex Irvine.
Words by Dominic Alden.
Back in 2021, the Somerset House No Comply exhibition - curated by Tory Turk and our good friend Helena Long - exhibited an all-encompassing collection of artefacts and stories spanning the entire rich skateboarding history of London.
We at Betongpark LTD were beyond stoked to be commissioned to create a piece for the exhibition. The concept, which initially was only ever intended as a rendered visual, was to reimagine a more skateable London in the form of a skateable Somerset House.
In true Betongpark fashion, ideas snowballed, and we quickly began drawing up plans to assimilate the idea into a real life photograph. We worked with our long time friend and legendary photographer Alex Irvine to design how this photo would look; together we wanted to create something that echoed classic skate photos in a bizarre setting. The shot was framed, and the trick was chosen, and this in turn helped to define the element we were to create.
The element itself was an ode to how street skaters will make ad-hoc use of their natural environment, propping up a manhole cover with a friend’s board. The surface of the slab was imprinted and pigmented to mimic the cobbles of the Georgian Quadrangle, and the classic fire hydrant was replaced by a replicated Georgian pillar. The resulting photographs from the day blend old with new, and really old.
Tristan Rudman - kicker to 5050. Photo: Henry Kingsford.
Henry Edwards-Wood was drafted in to document the whole process, so enjoy his lighthearted edit below now, and also take in a handful of the photographs from the unique morning shoot! Featuring Charlie Munro, Harry Lintell, Tristan Rudman and Helena Long.
Skate photography is a true art to me. Each photo contains the dynamics, grace and skill of a skater. These photographs became my source of inspiration as an artist, as they are pictures of art supplies. They make me see art even in mundane things like skateboards and skate parks. These images remind me that art can be found everywhere, and even the most unexpected objects can become works of art if you look at them from a creative perspective.