'Places of Absence' Presentation

Friday, 6 March 2009

Bench 15

Tam the Gun, Edinburgh Castle

View from higher up, showing the location of the bench in relation to the canon, princess street and the view.



Bench 14





Thursday, 5 March 2009

Bench 13

These two photos give a good idea of the amount of memorial benches that stand in Princess Street gardens, side by side.


Last bench in the gardens:


Bench 10, 11 and 12

Still in Princess Street Gardens. All the benches are the same, so here are some varous inscriptions from them.





Bench 9






Interesting that this empty bottle of Buckfast, or Buckie, a drink that also here in Scotland is popularly perceived as being drunk by particularly underaged down and outs who are prone to committing anti-social behaviour (neds) or alcoholics, lies on a memorial bench. This image bears the interesting connotation that to a perhaps homeless alcoholic or a ned a bench is just a bench. Memorial bench, which could be said to have some sacredness attached to it (although this is subject to argument), or not.

Bench 8





Bench 7