I thought it would be useful to begin where I left off at the end of Level 2, with my progression interview proposal:
My primary interest is in landscape, but I have more recently investigated the interaction between land and people (which can also include the objects that people create in the landscape).
The advantage of this is that it creates wider development and presentational opportunities – for example portraiture. The disadvantage is that it can be less focused and does not necessarily concentrate on my strengths. On balance it is probably a good thing if it works.
My tutor suggested that my topic could be described as something like the transitional nature of human traces in the landscape – this is as good a working hypothesis as anything, I feel, although of course it can develop. I have been encouraged to start broad and narrow down, although given that I have a project in mind I think I should start there but research both more broadly and more specifically from that point, being prepared to change direction if necessary. In that way I feel I have some chance of accomplishing something!
So with this in mind I have three ideas. Two develop previous investigations, and one is completely new. This new one, which looks at Rye Harbour, is my current “favourite”:
RYE HARBOUR
This is a very interesting landscape with lots of remnants of historical buildings such as Camber Castle and the Mary Stanford Lifeboat Station. It is also a wildlife reserve for birds and rare plants such as the yellow horned poppy. It is often the focus of art projects such as The Beacon (based on the yellow horned poppy) and is home to many artists often tucked away behind the dunes in eccentric cottages. Perhaps the thing that most led me to consider Rye Harbour was an installation photograph of an old family house on the shingle where it used to stand, replacing history back in the landscape. Resources I can draw on include:
This project probably also provides the best opportunity for new and extended research. A disadvantage of this project is that it is some distance from my house (31 miles, about 75 mins drive). This is not insurmountable – it is perfectly possible as a day trip, but I could also rent a holiday house or stay in the area for a few days. A friend has a house there she might lend me – she has bought one of my photographs before so I could perhaps do a trade! Another disadvantage is that the landscape is very flat, although this could perhaps lead to a panoramic presentation, inspired by Koudelka. Below are a few images from a couple of visits – some of these were taken with an iphone so are not intended in any way as final Level 3 images.
I also have a few more “alternative” ideas:
Inspired by an old photo of a coastal house that no longer exists but had been displayed as an installation board on the site of the original dwelling, I could work with the archive to find ways of reincorporating the transient traces of human inhabitation in the landscape. This could include the people. I could investigate using a low drone as a tripod extension, project images onto the sea, and film or photograph the disrupted results. Obviously this has a few technical challenges!
Questioning the different time frames which the human and the landscape occupy, I could film a complete 24 hour cycle looking out across the shore to the sea and display it, speeded up to 1 hour – for example in the coffee shop of the Rye Harbour Nature Reserve Visitors Centre. The idea is to get people to consider how our relatively rapid view of time influences our view of our habitat.
Mapping – this could be a handmade map that accompanies the work, or something more intricate involving walking and GPS recording, possibly including collecting objects – I have collected stones before which would be fine but many of the interesting objects are protected (such as plants) or large (such as the red hut and the lifeboat house) so such objects could be recorded as photos. This leads to the idea of a map made in a similar way to Sohei Noshino – however this raises the question of creating something new. It might be possible to do something with moving image. It also might be possible to do a narrative atlas as per Kate Orff/Richard Misrach, but again mindful of the fact that this is not my own independent idea?
HARVEST HOME
My second idea is to carry on with my final assignment for Level 2 Documentary (https://documentary515050.wordpress.com/2021/11/18/5-harvest-home/). This has the advantage that I have already built up the contacts and would like to continue with the work in any case, and it would teach me to sustain a project. It is also very close to my house and so easily accessible. However it would not necessarily push me further or in new directions and it is possible I have already, to use a phrase that is not necessarily appropriate for an assignment on organic vegetarians, chewed the best meat off the bones of that project.
THE FOREST GARDEN AT NIGHT
My final idea is to combine two project ideas from my Level 2 Landscape course – working at night on the Ashdown Forest using light painting (https://land515050.home.blog/2019/03/13/the-black-forest/), and working in the Chelwood Vachery Forest Garden (https://land515050.home.blog/2019/11/19/forest-garden/). For this I would revisit the Forest Garden at night. I would also be interested in taking this beyond landscape to suggest stories using actors (inspired by the work of Todd Hido, but avoiding his particular use of women) although my storytelling attempt for Level 2 Documentary was probably my least successful assignment. This has the advantage of being local and revisiting a way of working that I enjoyed, that creates striking and different imagery and when I undertook an independent portfolio review with a professional photographer was suggested as the most promising direction to proceed in. Disadvantages include that it does not get properly dark until very late in the summer, and that people including the police can be suspicious and discouraging of night photography (I have since discovered that amongst the many weird subcultures there is one that tries to photograph others carrying out dubious liaisons in car parks at night!).
Level 3.1 Learning Log 