In an ambitious series titled Playground, photographer James Mollison documents places around the world where children laugh, cry, and run around until they're exhausted. Mollison, who previously explored where kids sleep, traveled to locales like Nairobi, Tokyo, and Los Angeles to capture these images.
There's an incredible amount of diversity among the playgrounds. Often, they are devoid of jungle gyms and swing sets, opting for large, open spaces instead. Some places contain grassy fields while others are built on dirt. Mollison also includes backdrops of dense cityscapes, palm trees, and mountains, proving that play can be anywhere.
The photographer's inspiration for Playground came from when he returned to his own school as an adult, and then visited one nearby. The differences were staggering, and he was struck by how these environmental changes could profoundly affect this shared childhood experience.
Playground was recently released as a book through the Aperture Foundation.
Dechen Phodrang , Thimphu, Bhutan
Emiliano Zapata Elementary School, Pachuca de Soto, Hidalgo, Mexico
Freretown Community Primary School, Mombasa, Kenya
Shohei Elementary School, Tokyo
Bhakta Vidyashram, Kathmandu, Nepal
Adolfo Lpez Mateos Primary School, Mexico City
Aida Boys School, Bethlehem, West Bank
He Huang Yu Xiang Middle School, Qingyuan, China
Gram Panchayat School, Ludiya, Kutch, Gujarat, India
Nativity School, Los Angeles
Stonyhurst College Lancashire, UK
Valley View School, Mathare, Nairobi, Kenya
James Mollison: Website
via [Brain Pickings]
