Photographic Journey Along the River Lea by Braden and Campany

Polly Braden and David Campany's photographic series 'Adventures in the Valley' documents the River Lea, which flows from the Thames in east London to Hertfordshire. The project begins at the site of the 2012 Olympic Games and traverses industrial estates, sports centres, new build homes, nature reserves, and council estates. Their work responds to the area's strange beauty, mixing observational documentary with experimental stagings. The photographs include poetic snapshots, theatrical incidents, naturalistic portraits, and wild discoveries. Themes include escape from the city, reinvention of spaces, the lure of water, cultural encounters, and the persistence of nature. The series was exhibited as a 150-image, 15-minute digital slideshow at the ICA in London during the programme 'London in Six Easy Steps' in summer 2005. The essay was published on Afterall on 12 October 2009.