A Question of England (Hardcover)

As a small boy, John Comino-James stood in school cap and Sunday suit to have his snapshot taken under flags put up for Queen Elizabeth's Coronation. The resultant photograph resonates with an England long since disappeared, yet still fertile in the imagination. That sense of how that England has changed is the focus in John Comino-James' new book as he explores our everyday landscape of sign and symbol, from roadside verge to traffic-free shopping centre, to high-rise cityscapes. Art is in action ahead, and with a friendly corporate Hello, we are offered No Deposit Deals on Half Price Dreams. We are thanked for shopping, and offered free cash withdrawals. A Money Shop is at hand and woodlands are for sale - just visit the website. If we drop litter CCTV may catch us, and we are warned that if we leave something valuable on show in our car we can expect it to be stolen. Reminders of the valour and necessity, the sacrifices, the folly and the tragedy of war are never far away. Earthquakes may strike, stores may close but we can still buy artisan ice-cream. But if opportunity is the moment you have been looking for, where is salvation to be found if not in moments of direct relationship with others?