Quintessential London

Quintessential Old London

by
Sasara
original, Limited Edition b&w photography offering an alternative contemporary view of the City of London

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About / Sas images – themes & concepts

In a world where a universe of camera wielding folk clamour to capture the City of London in its iconic modernity, Sasara (aka Londoner Val Kelly aka The Singing Photographer) has chosen to journey the road less travelled.

Steeped in nostalgia, Sasara (SaS) captures & offers contemporary limited edition b&w photography featuring ‘Quintessential Old London’ - as it co-exists today alongside its modern 21st century counterparts.

With the aim of making the seemingly invisible, visible, Sasara imagery shines a light upon 3 specific contrasting themes: –

* Vintage London (thriving)

Takes a step back in time.... exploring & portraying a unique pocket of alternativism... almost a parallel culture, a whole movement experiencing, reliving, collecting, preserving, celebrating, totally immersed in the nostalgia of all things related to bygone days yet comfortably thriving, co-existing within a trendy fast paced modernism.

(read more - Blog: Why Vintage?)

* Old London of bygone years (disappearing)

Daily we, both resident & transient visitors alike, walk or drive through her streets no longer seeing the beauty, the elegance, the quirky, grandiosity of ‘Old London’ – its buildings, places, scenes - which lay beyond the main tourist attractions...

Sasara images strive to bring to life the essence, charm, character & timelessness of a side of London which, with passive aggressivity, continues to fight with all its might to hold its ground. Proudly yet silently it continues to interweave and tightly knit together a city which, over a lifetime, we’ve all grown to love yet many have long since taken for granted.

(read more -Blog: Why ‘Old London?’)

* City in Transition (past & present)

It’s not easy to capture a city in transition. One day you’re stopped in your tracks by the beauty or quirkiness of a building you’ve passed every day yet had never saw before, the next the outer walls of that building are fenced off with graffitied protection boards and within a puff, ‘overnight’ it’s gone. Replaced by a new shopping mall or block of flats, luxury or otherwise. For a reason you don’t quite understand, you find yourself left with a lingering sadness as you try to remember what was present before the new arrival.

Under a tidal wave of futuristic city regeneration & community gentrification whole blocks, landmarks, communities, appear to be disappearing into obscurity faster than Usain Bolt can run the 100m backwards.

Amazed and awakened by the speed of transition, Sas photography has embarked on a quest to capture some of the above. (new - ongoing).

(read more - Blog: City in Transit – Cont’d).

About/Our Aim

Remember those cherished dog eared photos your gramps & great gramps used to bring out on those ‘special occasions’? The b&w classics which 40, 60, 70 odd years on still ooze that depth, that indescribable feel, draw you in, evoke sometimes hard to verbalize emotional responses and which today still invite new interpretations of those old visual stories?

Sas artwork strives to do just that... Create timeless imagery which stir & trigger long forgotten emotions, tickle that inner sense of nostalgia, make you stop in your tracks to take a little time out to briefly sit, stand, walk, hop, step, skip down ‘Memory Lane’... and back into the arms of those fond ‘OMG! I ... do you remember when...’ moments...

The difference between Sas images, the photos in the treasured albums of your elders & many other contemporary b&w collections - is that here, that history you’re reminded of whenever you view a Sasara image, that swelling sense of nostalgia evoked, that distant past you’re transported to... is not only your history, part of your past, it’s part of your present, your story, YOUr life...now...

About/ Our Offerings

Contemporary nostalgia.... that’s what we create...that’s what we offer... a unique opportunity to buy into a touch of real nostalgia.

With emphasis more on romanticism than historical representation, this is our take, a Londoners take on London....

Our offering - to those (resident or well travelled visitor alike) who lurve this city which never sleeps; for whom London is your favourite city to live, work,

visit or play; to those who wish to stay connected to the place which has helped define & shape who you are & the lives you now lead - whoever and wherever you may be or from wherever you once hailed.

This is also for those of you who adore b&w photography; who love nostalgia, love stories, love making & immersing yourselves in memories; who have been searching for and would like to invest in contemporary photographic artwork of London which offers a refreshingly alternative yet familiar perspective of a place you either have a lifelong unquenchable soft spot for or currently or at some stage in your lives, called 'home'...

About/ Our Prints

‘...like seeing a fleeting glimpse of sunshine in the corner of your eye, turn and it’s gone forever (VK 2016)

All are Limited Edition Prints. Why? What’s that all about Alfie??

Simples!
We genuinely love the thought that...each time you gaze upon your artwork, time & time again you’ll revel in the amazing feeling which comes from knowing that you will be one of only a few people on the planet who will own that particular piece...from that particular limited collection...from this particular gallery .....love that!.

(read more – FAQ)

About/ You

Whether a casual art buying lover (mmm...), a ‘newbie’ looking to purchase your first piece of artwork online; an avidly passionate collector of all things London; someone looking to add a striking ‘impact’ piece to your private ‘home or office gallery’ or... a small business or large corporate enterprise looking to acquire a large unified body of work to grace the walls of your new or pre-existing business/accommodation space....... We’re soo happy you’re here!

We’ve created this site especially with you in mind... we knew that you were out there and wanted to create something which would feed your monochromatic passion and sensibilities...

Make yourself a smoothie, pour yourself a drink... and step inside Sasara’s Tardis...

Enjoy the journey!

Sasara

IMAGES

Quintessential London Prints

Get in touch...

07736 968 366