London After the Apocalypse

Posted by on Jul 09 2009, in apocalypticpost, london, media studio Squint/Opera, post apocalypse

Not everything about the ol’ Apocalypse is gloom ‘n doom. London actually looks quite chipper after the floods hit it. Here are some images by media studio Squint/Opera and a blurb:

These images by media studio Squint/Opera imagine what the capital may look like after the apocalyptic event, but far from being scenes of tragic ruin and devastation they depict a tranquil utopia – a city reclaimed by the nature on which it was built. And despite our familiarity with the dark prophecies forecast by scientists for the future, the beauty a flood might bring to London is a shaft of optimism that is often overlooked.
The studio used combination of photography, 3D modelling and digital manipulation to create the stunning images, but what proves fascinating is their desire to imitate the techniques of Victorian landscape painters. The substantial changes to both the landscape of the city and the population’s way of life are realistically portrayed, yet it is the tranquility of the scenes that stands out: a man prepares to dive off a ledge in St Paul’s cathedral and a couple construct pre-flood artifacts into a makeshift generator, but no where is the tragedy we might imagine evident – an image of a couple fishing in the ruins of Canary Wharf even appears almost pastoral.