‘Nothing To Worry About’ is a 130 page, A5, black and white booklet originally inspired by an interest in the impact of security cameras. The concept was then developed though my concerns about the fear of terrorism - in relation to the actual risk - and personal experiences of urban alienation.
“Cities that do not adapt to us will insist we adapt to them. For those who cannot or will not, there is only exile or alienation”.
Italo Calvino, ’Invisible Cities’ 1974.
For several years, many of the final images were included in edits for other projects. However, about 5 years ago I discovered that we are about 2000 times more likely to kill ourselves than to be killed by a terrorist. It was at that point I began to see a connection between suicide, urban alienation, surveillance and our fear of terrorism. I then began re-working the edit and including imagery from the other projects. Looking back through my archive, I realised I had subconsciously been inspired by these subjects on a regular basis. Once the connection between the themes had been identified it then become possible to galvanise the concept and produce this final sequence.
The images were taken mainly in London, Paris, Cardiff, Oxford and Oslo during the first 15 years of this century. The first and last few pages are manipulated photographs of fight scenes I took in 2010. Scenes acted out by human beings to provide wireframe data for the development of video games. Violent video games set in urban environments. The front and back covers are collages of city maps, technical drawings of guns and security cameras.
Also included is a text by Alexia Wdowski (reprinted below) that she wrote in response to the imagery, quotes and data I had been working with on the project. The final edit, artwork and printing of 33 signed and numbered copies of the booklet was completed in 2020 during the Covid-19 lockdown. Production costs were (indirectly) supported through the Arts Council of Wales emergency fund for Artists to which I am very grateful.
The world looks like a different place right now. I doubt terrorism is top of people’s list of things to worry about anymore. The themes of this project may now have changed, but they have not gone away.
James Hudson, June 2020