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I'm an architectural photographer. I travel around Britain interacting with special places. I work from my camper van called Woody and I share my experiences via this digest.

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PHOTO-HOARD

One of my fave photos I took inside Bath Abbey - as if the organ music has been piped into the vaulting.

WORDS

Let no one says the past is dead.
The past is all about us and within’
Oodgeroo Noonuccal, The Past

OBSERVATIONS

Holding On To The Past

I’m stood in the cloister at Norwich Cathedral. I've rarely been to a place that so deeply embodies the human need to express their hopes and fears through architecture.

The walkways, reputed to be the largest cloister in England, are lined with a series of bosses along the vaulted ceilings.

A boss conceals the awkward junction where the ribs of a vault converge. In ecclesiastical buildings it is often decorated with scenes from the Bible, the Bestiary or foliate carvings.

The bosses at Norwich depict scenes from the life of Christ, the lives and miracles of saints, and the apocalypse.

Walking through the cloister and admiring the intricate bosses is a zoetropic experience. Movement brings them back to life, spinning out a visual narrative from the static of the material present.

As I circumnavigate the cloister, each glance at the bosses unfurls a vivid narrative, bridging the here and now with the pulsing emotional complexity of the medieval mind. It isn't just visual either, it's also acoustic; the vaults act as echo chambers, immersing me in sound as they would have experienced it.

Behind the biblical references lie reflections on the human condition and the syncretic nature of the church. The foliate head, with origins in pre-Christian traditions, abounds.

I've visited many places that offer a wonderful glimpse of the past, but rarely have I felt the past glimpse back at me.

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HOTSPOTS

The Prior's Door

I complete a full lap of the cloister and finish at the Prior’s Door, dating back to around 1310. This door, once the entrance from the cloisters into the cathedral for the monastic community, features Christ in Majesty with St. Peter, Moses, St. John the Baptist, and St. Edmund King and Martyr.

Members can see the Prior's Door in augmented reality - it gives a real spatial view of the door (viewable on any device).

⛫ The Cast Room: The Prior’s Door, Norwich Cathedral
Welcome to my virtual Cast Room. On my travels, I’ve been taking augmented reality casts of things that appeal to me. The Cast Room is inspired by the Cast Courts of the V&A which hold a vast selection of casts taken of great works of art all over the globe. Members Only.
Andy Marshall's Genius Loci DigestAndy Marshall

The Cloister Bosses

Norwich Cathedral is renowned for its medieval bosses, particularly those within the main body of the cathedral.

However, the bosses in the cloister are almost within touching distance and remarkably intact. Here's a selection of the bosses I photographed during my visit. Beyond the Biblical references, these carvings reveal the mental angst and trials of the medieval mind, captured through symbolism, whimsy, and iconography.

VAN LIFE

Woody (my camper van) has his own boss - a depiction of Samson and The Lion from Exeter Cathedral.

The original was carved in 1307 by William Montacute from Somerset for a fiver. The reproduction is made of stone from the cathedral during restoration work and was crafted by Herefordshire stone mason Martin Webb.

Van Life Gallery
My van, Woody, is my time-travelling machine, taking me to some remarkable places that have altered my mind like wine through water.
Andy Marshall's Genius Loci DigestAndy Marshall
ON MY COFFEE TABLE
BOOKMARKED

I'm so glad I read this article, and so grateful for Simon Boas - you have taught me so much through your words and given me a new zest for each day. Thank you.

Simon Boas, aid worker: I’m as happy as I’ve been in my life
Simon, who was diagnosed with terminal cancer last year, offers his reflections on life and death on Radio 4’s Today programme.
BBC NewsBBC News
FILM AND SOUND

What I'm listening to in the van:

BBC Radio 4 - Being Roman with Mary Beard, 1. Loving An Emperor
Meet Marcus Aurelius- Emperor, warrior, philosopher and dangerous flirt.
BBC
FROM THE ARCHIVE

This time last year:

'Here in Brixworth in front of this humble dry stone wall everything is alive: the stone, the moss and even the boundary that it betrays. It's all so bloody beautiful.'

Andy Marshall’s Genius Loci Digest: 14 July 2023
I’m travelling in Woody on the way to a photoshoot beyond London, but I make a detour to see a place that I’ve been wanting to see for a very long time.
Andy Marshall's Genius Loci DigestAndy Marshall
FOR MEMBERS

Updated with new content:

Comperandum - Historic Graffiti in Buildings
A nod to Banister Fletcher: Historic Graffiti in Buildings
Andy Marshall's Genius Loci DigestAndy Marshall
The Cast Room - Andy Marshall’s Genius Loci Digest
⛫ Welcome to my virtual Cast Room. On my travels, I’ve been creating augmented reality casts of things that appeal to me. The Cast Room is inspired by John Ruskin’s Venetian casts and the Cast Courts of the V&A, London, which house a vast selection of casts taken of great works of art all over the globe. Members Only.
Andy Marshall's Genius Loci DigestAndy Marshall
Members’ Area
Members only content
Andy Marshall's Genius Loci DigestAndy Marshall
Member Powered Photography Status Page
In essence I’m offering my professional services for free to historic locations in Britain.
Andy Marshall's Genius Loci DigestAndy Marshall

Recent Digest Sponsors:

Digest Membership Sponsor: Leisuredrive Campervans Ltd.
Established in 1969, we are the UK’s longest standing independent campervan company.
Andy Marshall's Genius Loci DigestAndy Marshall
AND FINALLY

An Opportunity to Own My Original Artwork: Saxon St. Laurence, Bradford-on-Avon.

I'm selling an original piece from my sketchbook to help Member Powered Photography. More information here:

🛍️ Shop: An Opportunity to Own My Original Artwork: Saxon St. Laurence, Bradford-on-Avon.
A chance to own my original artwork of St. Lawrence, Bradford-on-Avon.
Andy Marshall's Genius Loci DigestAndy Marshall

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Photographs and words by Andy Marshall (unless otherwise stated). Most photographs are taken with Iphone 14 Pro and DJI Mini 3 Pro.