Pliability
Written by John Macpherson
I can do anything © John MacPherson
Before this one night of frost, the discarded piece of plywood had had some life or other, perhaps a builder’s sheathing layer, on a house. A good life.
Then demolished. Cast onto a tip.
From where a fisherman, seeing it’s potential (as they do) took it to line a box. Until it outlived that use too. And was jettisoned.
Then made a journey through the sea, a raft of sorts, and cast itself onto this beach.
It was put over a muddy hole and walked upon, used as a small, bendy, bridge between forest and shore. Thats where I first saw it.
Several years of use later it was still there, careworn and fragile in places.
But on this one particular day the frost had got there first. Transforming the bridge into a wonderful layered piece of abstract art.
Sheeting.
Liner.
Raft.
Bridge.
Art.
That’s real ply ability don’t you think?
Author — John Macpherson
John MacPherson was born and lives in the Scottish Highlands. He trained as a welder in the Glasgow shipyards, before completing an apprenticeship as a carpenter, and then qualified as a Social Worker in Disability Services. Along the way he has cooked on canal barges, trained as an Alpine Ski Leader & worked as an Instructor for Skiers with disabilities, been a canoe instructor, and tutor of night classes in carpentry, stained glass design and manufacture, and archery. He has travelled extensively on various continents, undertaking solo trips by bicycle, or motorcycle. He has had narrow escapes from an ambush by terrorists, been hit by lightning, caught in an erupting volcano, trapped in a mobile home by a tornado, kidnapped by a dog's hairdresser, rammed by a basking shark and was once bitten by a wild otter. He has combined all this with professional photography, which he has practised for over 35 years. He teaches photography and acts as a photography guide & tutor in the UK and abroad. His biggest challenge is keeping his 30 year old Land Rover 110 on the road. He loves telling and hearing stories.