These images were ‘found’ beneath a section of the M90 Motorway; an elevated brutalist behemoth straddling ancient agricultural land, north-east of Rosyth. The sheer mass of concrete overhead creates an almost cave like sensation when standing directly underneath. Folded into artificial darkness, violent white light spills around the concrete edifice, flooding the hinterland of perception. Looking out from the cocoon of the dark belly, steel giants stalk the landscape. Above, the dull thud-thud of unseen vehicles passing.
Imaginary maps of this hidden microclimate are revealed in the concrete structures and the very land itself.
Compared to the verdant vegetation in the surrounding fields, the dry earth fractures into mesmerising worlds of ambiguous scale.
Concrete surfaces leach vivid patinas of oxidising colour.
Time, heat, moisture and the elements create an ongoing cartography of chance.
River deltas, mountain ranges, lagoons, beaches, sandbanks.
Topographies of texture and shade, revealed in light.
Encounter with the red-billed shaman.
A gull-like creature invites us to contemplate
the white void of falling water.
Head bowed, long neck. Wise knowing eye.
When looking up, feels like looking down.
For an instant, on the roof, a city underneath the gaze of a drone.
Aura of the walls.
Frescoes painted by gravity.
The staining sound of concrete stigmata:
drip
drip
drip
This is not an easy place to access on foot, although it is visible from the trains that pass along the Fife Circle railway line. The concrete supports are usually covered with graffiti but some recent activity has painted over all of this with white geometric shapes. It is unclear whether this is some clean up intervention by the authorities, or a Year Zero initiative from the graffiti community themselves.
Strangely, from across the tracks, tags still shout out for attention.
Emerging from the darkness, maps and imaginary worlds dissolve in sunlight as we head back west.
Across the fields, the lumbering concrete, traverses north and south.
The giant steel stilt-walkers are heading east.
≈≈≈
The original intention was to incorporate this material into another post that is presently being written on quite a different theme. As this particular encounter was the result of a serendipitous detour we have chosen to post it separately.
An earlier post, underneath a different section of the M90, can be found here.
Now playing: Kayo Dot – Dowsing Anemone with Copper Tongue.
Murdo Eason - From Hill to Sea 
10 replies on “Cartographies of Chance – Underneath the M90 (II)”
Lovely post about these most enigmatic of spaces. There are some good motorway viaducts around Manchester as well.
Thank Paul. Yes enigmatic spaces. City ones tend to get ‘repurposed’ but interesting to see what is underneath these peripheral ones.
The concrete slabs with rivers of rust look like pieces of jewelry I’ve seen, decorated with polished and other natural gifts
You truly have an artist’s eye – thank you for sharing it with us..
Thanks Aubrey. Some of the green hues reminded me of jade jewellery. Some touches of agates as well.
Lovely post indeed. SOme of the images remind me of the Irish painter Louis le Brocquy.
Many thanks Billy. I don’t know that name so will check out. Cheers.
You might enjoy the portraits of writers.
Ah yes. I have seen some of these – Beckett and Joyce certainly. Also can see how the ‘white drip/smear’ images evoke some of his work. Thanks again.
[…] We know that beyond the A823 another field will take us to a concrete flyover of the M90 motorway. We work out a way to access the field and head off on a detour. Our serendipitous findings are recorded in a separate blog: Cartographies of Chance – Underneath the M90 (II). […]
Those concrete bleeds out-Rothko Rothko!