It is only lately that the world has come to realise, what I suppose indigenous socities did not forget, how incredible the natural world is.

In the past perhaps we either sought to protect or coccoon our selves from some element of it, or to makes our lives easier relative to it (ie. 1) bears, wolves, alligators…2) heat, cold, snow…3) food, physical distance, clothing)Such that we haven’t always been able to wonder at and admire nature in the sense that poets often do.

Perhaps a more poetic understanding of nature, rather than an economic one, will enable urban and agricultural societies to move towards finding a balance that is more respectful of nature.

I did not swim, i would rather do this up further upstream in Sonning or Henley for my full immersion in the Thames!

The river is the reason the urban landscape has been created in the location it resides and like a child respects its mother so should the city respect the river. Unfortunately social ills often lead to a lack of respect and appreciation until it is too late. I

Lets hope for a beautiful urban future with the youth and vigour of sustainable technologies.

I like the futurists am also in a hurry, and appreciate the help so as not to stumble too often.

The abstraction i hope for is one that takes the successes of our urban forms with landscape as a the binding agent, a mycorrhiza running through a socially rich network of healthy communities.

I was down at Vauxhall, London with a good friend the other day. It was a fine day and England had just played their only winning game of the football world cup tournament the city was buzzing. The evening was fine and the tide was low. We decided to make our way to the beach of the Thames with a can of beer in hand. We sat at on the sundried pebbles before standing in the river clay with the Thames at our ankles and planned a future for urban landscape.

The taste of the beer; the view of the river; the sound of the city; the feel of the clay; the smell of the summer air. A social interaction and feeling of well being.

An aesthetic adventure.

The demise of the cork has reduced the importance of sound to the ritual somewhat.

are you saying that unless all are engaged then it is not for consideration of aesthetics?

but are our aesthetic judgements concerned only with works that plays on all 5/7. Something beautiful could be focused on one of a few of these. no? Duchamp’s toilet was not judged on it’s smell though is a subject of aesthetic conversation. And does a deaf man not have a voice in the philosophy of beauty?