Photographic Exhibition in City Hall

In a long-term visual survey, the Canadian photographer, Philip Jessup (see www.jessup.ca), is documenting the remains of wilderness in the watersheds of several large cities, including Toronto and London.

Opening on May 12, 2008 at City Hall in London, TRANSFORMATIONS: THE LEA/LEE, will display the London phase of Jessup's survey - the natural and engineered features of the Lea River and Lee Navigation Channel extending from the M25 to the Thames River.

The 2012 Olympics will usher in the next major transformation of the Lea/Lee. From Hackney Marsh to the Bow River, London’s plan for the Olympic site will restore derelict areas, create 40,000 new homes, improve walking/bicycling paths, and enhance green open space. As the landscape of the Lea/Lee continues to evolve, this exhibit documents the ever changing face of this important urban watershed.

The Lea/Lee watershed offered Jessup a rich visual palette stemming from multiple cycles of industrialization, decay, urbanization, and renewal. During 2005/6, he was able to spend considerable time hiking in and photographing the watershed.

The photo exhibit will be accompanied by screenings of filmmaker Paul Kelly’s homage to the Lea, What Have You Done Today, Mervyn Day?