Whispers from an Ancient World
My MA Final Project is finished! Whispers of the Ancient World, has only just begun…
Whispers from an Ancient World, by Sullaman. © T. S. Clark (2023)
As I develop my technique, I plan to find more spectacular ancient trees, and experiment with photographing them in new ways. This is my attempt at the EcoGothic, embracing the sublime, to suggest that they have character and something greater to them than being ‘just’ a tree, and demand a sense of awe when in their company. Each is an individual, and I have a story tell about each one too. Unfortunately all I know is a mere fragment of their existence, and it is unfathomable to me to fully know what their experience of the world must be like. I will tell the story of my experience with each of them individually, over the coming weeks, and bring in new ones to the fold. The MA Photography course has been hugely instrumental in helping me find this direction, and elevate my work. I cannot thank or recommend them enough!
For now, this is where the university part of this project ends, but this only marks the beginning of where it will go. The prints are ready, and the exhibition is next to prepare for. Much more will be added to this site soon, including high quality limited edition prints, and new social media channels.
Watch this space!
Looking for inspiration: Part 3
Inventive photographic processes at an exhibition about Neo-Pictorialism at the RPS in Bristol, gave me some ideas…
“Neo-Pictorialism has an emphasis on the aesthetic and embraces the other-worldly. It is a direct and positive reaction to the digital age and new technologies. Photoshop, scanners and printers all greatly assist in the creation of the digital negative, enabling twenty-first century photographers and artists to make traditional photographic prints using historic process and technique.”
Squaring the Circles of Confusion, curated by Zelda Cheatle, at RPS House, Bristol. 2022
In this exhibition I discovered two photographers, David George who took some atmospheric night shots in natural surroundings, which of course I was drawn to, and Susan Derges, whose work was presented beautifully and unusually, and combined natural elements in a way that held the gaze. Ideally I’d like to present my work in a stylish way too, so it gave me some ideas about exhibiting my work. But first I’d have to complete it.
Seeing trees in a new light
An ancient crack willow, in a field, in the dark. It spoke to me…
An ancient crack willow, captured in the dark using long exposures. © T. S. Clark (2023)
On my way to photograph Sherwood Forest, I planned to stop along an ancient Roman road near Coventry, to seek out this willow and photograph it in the golden evening light. I set out a little later than planned, and by the time I had arrived the sun was below the horizon, but with enough natural blue light to see where I was going. I had to walk through a couple of fields, and as it got darker on a clear night, I had to use my phone torch to see where I was going. Sheep in a neighbouring field were settling down for the night. The public pathway I was on eventually led me to the right tree, after a couple of false positives. Armed with a tripod, I was determined to get something now that I had made it this far.
The first shots on the other side of the trunk made the tree a silhouette against the fading light in the sky. When I moved around to the viewpoint you see here, I knew I could get good textures in the bark from natural, and possibly some far-off urban light. By this time it was dark, and the long exposures make it look brighter than it was. The star trails and movement in the branches give this away.
The result felt ethereal, like a part-living, magnificent being, and part ghost. Actually, a lot of the bark you see here is indeed already dead. I do not know the age of this tree, but I know it has lived for several, if not many human generations, and is still alive to this day. It felt lost, forgotten, and abandoned in this agricultural zone, not far from huge urban centres. How the landscape must have changed around it. I don’t know if it wanted to say something to me, but maybe it tried in a way I do not understand. Perhaps these images translate what it said. I wanted to learn more.
Langdon Hill and Golden Cap
A walk around a wooded hill to get to the highest point on the South Coast, for some spectacular sunset views!
While visiting relatives on the South Coast in Dorset, I took the opportunity to walk around the wooded Langdon Hill, up to the highest point along the Jurassic Coast, Golden Cap. I hoped to get more images that could be used as scenes or assets for my project, as well as having good stretch of the legs rewarded with magnificent views. It wasn’t too busy, and I spotted and heard wild creatures around me, including a kestrel hovering to find its last meal of the day. © T. S. Clark (2023)
A walk around Stourhead
A refreshing visit to the area surrounding Stourhead, where I found myself among beautiful nature.
After a difficult period of poor health, I managed to get out to walk on the hills around Stourhead, where I continued to search for usable assets, discover some history, and enjoy the wonderfully therapeutic experience of being in a beautiful green space. © T. S. Clark (2023)
Looking for inspiration: Part 2
England on Fire: A Visual Journey Through Albion’s Psychic Landscape, is a stunning piece of curation from Stephen Ellcock.
After seeing In The Black Fantastic next door, I wandered into the Haywood Gallery shop and had a browse. I spotted this book, now one of the best art books I own, and immediately it felt entirely relevant for my research and also a complete joy in its diversity and depth of content. These are just a handful of artists I found through this book, named in the captions when you view full size. They each seemed to fit the mood I wanted to go for, having long been interested in wooded scenes in moody low light. I have since followed Stephen Ellcock on Facebook, where he regularly posts evocative discoveries, and have since collected his next book, The Cosmic Dance, proving himself to be a hot curator to follow.
Looking for inspiration: Part 1
In The Black Fantastic was a stunning exhibition at the Hayward Gallery in 2022!
While I was on a short trip to London, I visited In The Black Fantastic at the Haywood Gallery, as the retelling of mythology in fantasy, and science fiction visions from the perspective of the contemporary African diaspora held strong appeal to get ideas for my own retelling of mythology, as well as to marvel at the colourful and inventive exhibits.
Enjoying many of the different takes on show, this is just a small selection of my snap happy captures, the work of Sedrick Chisom with his retelling of mythology and the legacy of racism stopped me in my tracks. And even more powerfully the art of Ellen Gallagher, colourful and stunning depictions of some of the most heart-rendering horrors of the Transatlantic slave trade intertwined with the undersea natural world.