As an expat in Singapore, have you ever been to a “void deck”? Located in the heartlands, these large open expanses of sheltered space underneath the island’s HDB blocks are instrumental in developing a sense of community and racial unity.
According to The Straits Times, the oldest void deck on the red dot was built in 1963 in Bukit Merah. They’re where residents can gather to meet friends, children can run around in all weather, students can study, aunties and uncles can play a ferocious game of mahjong, and pet owners can hang out with their furry friends. They’re a venue for birthday parties, weddings, and funerals. They’re where entire neighbourhoods gather together.
Jonathan Tan grew up in HDB’s around Jurong and has fond childhood memories of waiting for the school bus with his grandparents at the void deck tables. It was noticing these tables with fresh eyes years later that led him to his photography series, Lepak Downstairs (“lepak” means “relax” in Singlish).
“Singapore is a small city-state and at times there is a perception by the locals that our landscape is boring and there is nothing much to see here,” the business director tells ANZA. “However, I believe we have many unique sights that go unnoticed by Singaporeans, just because we’re so used to seeing them every day and taking them for granted.”
Unique perspective
On a whim, Jonathan started to wonder what the void deck tables might look like from a bird’s-eye view. Armed with just his iPhone and a three-metre-long selfie stick (no fancy drones here, folks!), he embarked on a personal project to capture these Singapore icons from a unique perspective. “I’ll extend the selfie stick until my phone is close to the ceiling, and aim it downwards to shoot,” he explains. “Because I can’t check the shots while shooting, there’s a lot of trial-and-error. I have to reshoot numerous times before getting the ‘perfect’ image. I try to keep things simple so that I don’t have to spend much, too. You can always find innovative ways to capture creative images.”
What’s more important than simple equipment, says Jonathan, is finding the right subject to capture. Not knowing exactly where he’ll find an interesting void deck table (although they tend to be found at the older estates), he simply picks an estate, visits it on a weekend around his day job, and hopes to get lucky. Alternatively, you’ll find him trying to spy a glimpse of potential shots from the windows of a bus.
“There were many days where I made wasted trips,” he admits. “Sometimes I wouldn’t find any of these tables when I got there, while other times I would come across designs that I’d already taken in other locations.”
There are currently 36 shots in the series, completed over two seasons with 18 shots each. Jonathan admits that through seeing Lepak Downstairs on social media, he now has friends and followers who send him locations of tables to photograph, which makes life a bit easier.
As for his personal favourite shot, he says this changes often. “For now, it’s the pale green configuration taken at Block 112, Bedok North Road,” he says. “I like it because the colour is nice and unique, and the sunlight fell in place nicely. As a bonus, if you look really closely, you can see my selfie stick in the reflection of the table.” (See above left).
See more of Jonathan’s images and enquire about purchases at @jontannn
