Animal Farm

Monday, July 30, 2012

Untitled Untitled Untitled Untitled Untitled If you didn't care what happened to me, 
And I didn't care for you, 
We would zig zag our way through the boredom and pain 
Occasionally glancing up through the rain. 
Wondering which of the buggars to blame 
And watching for pigs on the wing.

While I was in London I was fortunate to go to Battersea Power station.
A power station?

On an early December morning in 1976, photographs for the cover of Pink Floyd’s Animals album were taken. A huge inflatable pink pig was attached to one of the towers. It is still a mystery if the inflatable pig escaped or was released on purpose to increase the publicity of the album after the pictures were taken. No one knows. The album was officially launched at an event at the power station in January 1977 and was a worldwide success.

As I said in my previous post, I have a thing for iconic rock memorabilia/places. When I first went to London four years ago, I just couldn’t leave without crossing the Abbey Road crosswalk. On another trip to Amsterdam, I was lucky enough to visit the Hilton hotel room where John Lennon and Yoko Ono held their Bed-in in 1969.
Such memorable moments that I will never forget.

When I came home a few days later, I heard the terrible news of an Asian company buying the place. They will bring the abandoned power station down and build a shopping mall. It’s pretty ironic if you ask me as Animals is a concept album based on the flaws of capitalism.

Sara

PS: The album was was also based on George Orwell’s novel, ‘Animal Farm’.

Edit: A dear blogging friend of mine told me that the building is actually on the 'Grade 2' heritage building list so they can't demolish it!

18 comments:

  1. The fact they'll be building a shopping mall is pretty ironic indeed. You're so lucky to have seen the power station! Don't think I'll be able to make it in time.. Oh well.

    Love,
    Shanah.

    Ps; Great pictures!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Factories really scare me, but that's still sad. It reminds me of all the stores in my neighborhood that were replaced with a huge shopping center =(

    ReplyDelete
  3. Les photos sont superbes!J'aime beaucoup!biz
    Angela Donava
    http://www.lookbooks.fr

    ReplyDelete
  4. I love the pink of these photos. It's very surreal.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Ooh indeed sad news!! maar een geluk dat je het toch hebt kunnen bezoeken.

    ReplyDelete
  6. That Battersea power station is so stunning. You took great shots too.
    I can't believe they want to knock it down!? Isn't it a landmark?

    ReplyDelete
  7. Wow these pictures are stunning! Can't believe they want to take it down :/

    ReplyDelete
  8. Yes, pretty damn ironic, as you said. Although I'm finding that irony everywhere these days ... I find it a bit disturbing that this is being torn down. It has a type of gritty beauty to it.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Wow, I've never seen the power station look so beautiful! I used to glimpse it when my train pulled in to Victoria station and I felt reassured that I was home.

    Emily x

    ReplyDelete
  10. wow beautiful pictures.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Great post ^^
    Your blog is so cute. Loved it!

    xxx
    kissmequick

    ReplyDelete
  12. I'm definitely a landscape girl when it comes to photography, but these industrial photos...you've captured a specific, haunting mood here. And I love that you were led there by music.

    PS: I'm a first time visitor to your blog, and your top banner pulled me in like cotton candy. Beautiful.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Lovely post Sara, I can't believe I didn't know that about the Power station and Pink floyd!
    I wtill have my fingers crossed that Londen might buy the Battersea power station to save it! Plans for making it a shopping mall have been there for many times over the years. It never happened cos the cost of the renovation was too high. They can't demolish it though as it has a 'grade 2' Heritage listing in the UK. Thank god for that!

    ReplyDelete
  14. J'aime bcp ces paysages indusriels ! ça me rappelle le Havre
    Bises
    Valentine
    http://inthestreetofmode.wordpress.com/

    ReplyDelete
  15. these are really cool photos, i always thought taking pics of factories would be a neat project!

    ReplyDelete

Merci beaucoup!

Come a little bit closer, hear what I have to say. Just like children sleepin', we could dream this night away.
Harvest moon - Neil Young

SWEET HARVEST MOON All rights reserved © Blog Milk Powered by Blogger