Plotlands of Shepperton: Photographs 2004 - 2016(2 Plotlands UK)

This book provides photographic documentation of the houses on five plotland sites in Shepperton. 27 small colour photographs document Hamhaugh Island in 2004. There are then 14 full page photos of views across the Thames showing the riverside dwelling on the other bank. In addition there are 21 full page photographs of the plotland chalets in close-up view. Two of these are panoramas across a two page spread. A short section to finish has photographs of riverside chalets further downstream at Sunbury, Hampton and Eel Pie Island in Twickenham. Finally, there is a photograph of author JG Ballard's semi-detached brick house in Shepperton. The 'footnotes' that run along the bottom of the pages under the photographs are a river of words which are intended to reflect deeper significance into the images floating above them. This is the second collection of colour photographs in a series that will illustrate the Plotlands of the UK in a way that does not seem to have been attempted before. It is hoped that this will provide the basis for a renewed debate on this method of providing first homes for working class people.

About the Author :
The author went to Portsmouth to study architecture in 1966.The discomfort he felt with the profession resulted in his 'Survival Scrapbook 1 Shelter' which was published by Unicorn Bookshop in Brighton in 1972.'Food' and 'Energy' followed in 1974 and a Schocken Book edition of all three was published in North America. It was around this time that he first came across a colourful plotland community in Ovingham outside Newcastle, whilst touring with the Scratch Orchestra.The buildings seemed to be a form of architectural improvisation akin to the free form collective music making he was experiencing. Later he set up a building project for the musicians and this was shown as 'The Scratch Cottage' at Art Spectrum 1971. It was later in 1983 whilst teaching in Hull that he met Philip Wren whose thesis showed him how the Plotlands were an integral part of the pursuit of leisure by the working class. By now the plotlands had become a core interest in his wider study of working class culture. It was in the early 1990s after fifteen years of squatting that he had the good fortune to become a member of Sharsted Street Self-Build Co-op in Kennington. In three years from 1993 to 1996 ten families built ten houses. It was a dream come true, even if it wasn't a plotland! However Shepperton-on-Thames where the author lived from 1959 to 1966 had hundreds of plotland houses which had gone un-noticed as he grew up there. His mum continued to live in Shepperton until recently so there were occasional opportunities to take photographs.This book is the result of that informal documentary activity between 2004 - 2016.

Review :
"What starts with a simple proposition, to take photographs and make notes, becomes an incredibly rich exploration of a self-made architecture and its culture and politics. This is a subtly joyous and thoughtfully appreciative book; in many ways a celebration of a thousand quiet victories." Matthew Fuller, Professor of Cultural Studies, Goldsmiths, University of London "In Plotlands of Shepperton, Szczelkun explores the improvised architecture of a Thames-side community. By subverting the normal conventions of captions and footnotes, he compels us to more closely examine the photographs, while conjuring a winding narrative stream which places them in a broader context." Nick Barber, Museum Visiting Group, London "I am a big fan. I love both the design which gives space to the photographs. The long captions work perfectly; on top of being very informative one feels the attachment the author has to the place and houses. And it really makes me want to go there." Elisabeth Blanchet, Photographer and co-author with Sonia Zhuravlyova of Prefabs: A social and architectural history, '2018 "One of Stefan Szczelkun previous books, 'The Conspiracy of Good Taste' contained a short chapter on Plotlands. Within this slim volume, Stefan's argument about the oppression of autonomy, creativity and opportunity by dominant architectural culture provided me with a turnkey that has enabled me to open many doors in my research and fieldwork. The dream and desire to build, make space, and demand dignity through spatial sovereignty is universal. Yet many people are not aware how this everyday practice, still common to millions of other cultures through the world, was violently robbed from people in the UK in the post-war years. The Gower peninsula is in South Wales. 'The Chalet Fields of the Gower' [and now 'Plotlands of Shepperton'] gives us a view into how different our built environment might have been; a more gentle and personal space; where folk art might have intermingled with social and technical innovations to bring a whole new meaning to the concept of "New" towns. This book, like much much of Stefans work, is a vital historical and ethnographic document that will serve as a reminder to future generations that everyday acts are political, none more so than the basic requirement of creating shelter." Dr Mikey Tomkins The photographs "Give inspiration that an alternative way of providing housing might be possible." Tony Schonfeld