Dundee Heritage Trust is proud to announce that it will be staging the first ever major retrospective of the work of photographer Iain Macmillan.

It will be exhibited at Discovery Point for three months from Saturday 27th February until Thursday 3rd June 2010.

Iain, who died in 2006, is very much a forgotten son of Dundee who deserves to be more widely- known. His lack of fame is in part down to his being a very humble man who was incredibly modest about his achievements.

The private owner of the Iain Macmillan collection has collaborated with Dundee Heritage Trust in producing the show. In doing so he is fulfilling a promise he made to his late friend that he would arrange an exhibition of his work in his home town.

For more information take a look at imaginepeace.com.

At one point, just before the market crashes which have brought the globe to a virtual stand still, people could walk around town freely and no matter where they they looked new buildings were being constructed. Everything from factories, supermarkets, housing developments and the odd mega structure there were no shortages of active building sites. Once completed these buildings begin to make history from the very first day they move into active use.

All Rights Reserved, Martino – NL.

However, for every new building there are others whose historical significance may be deemed as being more important not just for local history but for human. These buildings, once vacated, generally fall into disrepair or are removed from the landscape altogether. Those that are fortunate will find another use. For the majority of the general population these buildings are forgotten.

All Rights Reserved, Viola***.

What is troubling for historians and architectural enthusiasts is that some of these abandoned buildings are listed or protected… the councils of whom are charged with protecting them and the historical significance that they represent. One of the most popular examples of such listed buildings is St. Peters’ Seminary in Cardross, Scotland. A listed building and rated as one of Scotland’s most important and significant architectural pieces the building now lies in complete ruin, having suffered major fire damage and abandonment, neglected by its protectors.

All Rights Reserved, kj.

There is one group of people who are taking it into their own hands to document these buildings and they can be found in the majority of all major cities around the world. Carefully documenting buildings and sites through photography and reportage they ensure that these structures are not completely forgotten. But some might say that these urban explorers are nothing more than mere trespassers violating security restrictions and risking their own lives for a photograph.

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A roundup of the best images from our Flickr pool for May. A bit late, yes I know, but I’ve been busy!

Un año atrás… polizei comming…
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We’ve now got a Flickr group for undergroundscene.co.uk members and readers which is free for all to join and contribute photography to. We’ll be showcasing the best photography on the site each month so join the group and start contributing. It’s a bit empty just now but we’re pretty sure that’s going to change over the coming days and weeks.

It’s basically a group for band photography, alternative / urban culture, parties, graffiti, urbex and everything and anything related. A bit of a mish-mash but it’s stuff we cover on the site.

Every where one goes and in every city and town across the world there are buildings that have come and gone and which have existed functionally longer than a lifetime. There are even fewer which are less than 50 years old which can be described as a building of world significance and that is exactly how DOCOMOMO describe St. Peter’s Seminary in Cardross.

St. Peter’s Seminary is a Grade A listed building (originally a Grade B) which was designed by the architect firm Gillespie, Kidd and Coia and was completed in 1966 by which time it was already considered out of date by the Second Vatican Council of the Roman Catholic Church. Read the rest of this entry »

Bruce Schneier has written an article for the Guardian titled “The War on Photography.” The article points out that since the Sept. 11th attacks on the USA photographers have been singled out for special treatment when it comes to national security. A very interesting read and well written article.

The 9/11 terrorists didn’t photograph anything. Nor did the London transport bombers, the Madrid subway bombers, or the liquid bombers arrested in 2006. Timothy McVeigh didn’t photograph the Oklahoma City Federal Building. The Unabomber didn’t photograph anything; neither did shoe-bomber Richard Reid

The London MET have also run an ‘advertising’ campaign around the streets by using posters to alert people to suspicious behaviour, but has been seen by many as having the adverse effect of demonising ordinary photographers, especially street photographers, with many parodies appearing on the internet.

Two nights ago I was fortunate enough to be able to take a tour around Glasgow’s Britannia Panopticon. The building, situated in the city’s Trongate was opened in 1859 and closed its doors in 1938 after various changes in ownership. Since then the venue has lain dormant until recently where a restoration project has gotten underway to restore the theater to its former glory. Read the rest of this entry »