An abandoned sofa has landed on an area of wasteland in Lydbrook, Gloucestershire. That unusual discovery has quickly turned into a local phenomenon. Bonjourne said that as Elton-Wall was walking along the roadside, he came across a couch. This 49-year-old office worker has called the village home for almost 20 years and likes keeping the picturesque woods that envelop him. He thought its weird mid-block location was “so hilarious.” So, he made it his mission to record the way it changed the local community.
Elton-Wall started shooting portraits on the sofa, and in just a couple of months had photographed more than 170 residents as they sat on it. To get them involved, he energized potential participants by sharing the notice in his community Facebook group. He urged all of us to join him and get out there and pose! His collection made a powerful impression with colorful images of players from the local football club. It features employees from the local café and the owner of the local timber yard, all gleefully interacting with the sofa.
“I’ve got pictures of everything from kids jumping up and down on the sofa to a couple of blokes drinking pints, who were kidnapped from the local pub,” – Alex Elton-Wall
The project took on a life of its own as Elton-Wall noticed that various items began appearing around the sofa. A side table, hat stand, lampshade, rug, coffee table and magazine rack just showed up! They brought a quirky magic to the atmosphere. This unique outfit who became a community attraction and continued to involve citizens and tourists with active participation.
Once the project started to pick up steam, cutting the ribbon on the project became a popular feel-good project for the village. Elton-Wall reflected on its impact, stating, “It’s become a real community and feelgood thing. You know, life’s tough, the world’s pretty crazy at the moment, but people have really embraced this.”
Looming over the in-progress structures, the sofa project added a playful element. Elton-Wall focused on the playful, silly antics of a tortoise, chicken and horse, who shared the stage with their human pals. The fun-filled venture continued until the sofa mysteriously vanished, leaving residents to reminisce about its presence in their village.
“At the end of the day, fly-tipping is not to be condoned. People in the village were always clear that it would be disposed of properly,” – Alex Elton-Wall
In light of the success of this unusual project, Elton-Wall is compiling a photo book featuring the sofa and its many admirers. All proceeds from this book will be used to help raise funds to install new playground equipment in the village. That’s why he plans to sell the book at this year’s new village fete in Tisbury Village, starting this summer.
“Don’t be sad it’s over, be glad it happened,” – Unspecified commenter online