A shirtless old man trips over a dog. A heavily pregnant woman screams obscenities into the face of a stranger. Middle-class families politely nibble crust-less sandwiches beneath a giant, spray-painted phallus. This is the beach; unchanging, yet always something new. It's here that Millard makes his return, expanding on 2011's observations to spend a long, full summer walking among the tourists, vendors, and sweating locals.
But it's a Royal Diamond Jubilee year, and the Olympics are coming to town -- and the skies see fit to flood the sands. When the people wash away, material must be sought elsewhere, and from the mating rituals in the public toilets to the summer's mixture of lust and lightning, this is anthropology for the digital age. Social nuances, overheard conversations, and the story beneath the surface; Millard is Alan Bennett raised in a game arcade by sarcastic voyeurs, and had people-watching been an Olympic event, his leering neck would hang heavy with the weight of gold.
But it's a Royal Diamond Jubilee year, and the Olympics are coming to town -- and the skies see fit to flood the sands. When the people wash away, material must be sought elsewhere, and from the mating rituals in the public toilets to the summer's mixture of lust and lightning, this is anthropology for the digital age. Social nuances, overheard conversations, and the story beneath the surface; Millard is Alan Bennett raised in a game arcade by sarcastic voyeurs, and had people-watching been an Olympic event, his leering neck would hang heavy with the weight of gold.
