Whilst living nomadically in a van in 1971 and 1972
I wrote two books on basic life supports, 'Survival Scrapbook: Shelter' and
'Survival Scrapbook: Food' which were published by Bill Butler's Unicorn Bookshop
in Brighton (1972).
[1]
After a spell teaching at the Architectural Association
I joined a seven strong eco-commune that had been formed by the artist Eric
Raven and the architect and Street Farmer
[2]
Peter Crump who had both been working at the Architectural
Association. We occupied an Old Vicarage built within a Neolithic circle in
Llandeussant, an ancient settlement on the west end of the Brecon Beacons
which was to have been paid for by the proceeds from the sale of Peter Crump's
London house.
[3]
We intend to use our background experience from the
broad based disciplines of art, architecture and literature to explore
possibilities of life support systems that may be developed and controlled on a
small scale and that will integrate most fully with the existing support systems
of nature.[4]
There was a personality clash
between Raven and Crump, which resulted in the vicarage being sold. I had
spent the winter months finishing the third book in my Survival Scrapbook
series - 'Energy' and going on a 37 radio and TV talk show promotional tour
of the USA where the Scrapbooks had been republished by Schocken Books.
After another year in Wales
attempting to live on the income from these books, income that was never paid,
I returned to London in 1976 and lived in a short-life house in Flodden road,
South London which included a disused church, another vicarage and a church
hall.
[5]
This loose community formation had no explicit cultural
programme or identity so I am not including it as one of my 'collectives'.
[1] Survival Scrapbooks
Shelter and Food were followed by Energy in 1974. These three were
then republished in the USA by Schocken Books. These were the basis of an
exhibition/installation by the curators Henriette Heise and Jakob Jakobson in
February 1999. See Art Monthly (March 1999, Issue 224 pp35-37) for a review by
Laura Moffat.
[2] The Street Farmers had
arisen from the Architectural Association as a kind of radical eco response to
the technological supremicism of Archigram. The main personnel were Bruce
Haggart and Peter Crump. They produced two or three issues of a loose-leaf journal
and would make public actions dressed in green boiler suits. A third Street
Farmer, Graham Caine, built a full size experimental 'eco house' on the playing
fields at Eltham, South East London, where he lived for a year. (See, Mother
Earth News,
No. 20 March 1973 p62)
[3] The main people who actually
lived at the Earthworkshop were Stefan Szczelkun, Eric and Chrissie Raven and
their daughter Poppy and Bernard Seal. These five were joined for shorter
periods by Roger and Brett.
[4]
From an Earthworkshop fundraising
document. (see also Gorman 1975 pp141 and 145/7)
[5] Larry of the rock group Pink
Fairies lived in the hall and Lemmy (who would later form Motorhead) was a
regular visitor. The Street Farmer Bruce Haggart lived in the vicarage with his
wife Kate and child Sholto. We had parties in the church in which the 101'ners
played. They were led by Joe Strummer who later formed 'The Clash'.