Miniature pinhole paper positives developed using nettle developer
Anthotypes made with leaves and berries from hedgerow plants
Still life photographs of leaves from hedgerow plants
Hedgerows are an integral feature of the British countryside and provide a vital habitat within a largely human-managed landscape. Now seen as positive examples of human impact on the land, hedges were once controversial signs of exclusion, planted to enclose land and prevent access.
This project focuses on the hedgerows close to my home, some managed, some recently cut down, and some relics of former boundaries with rows of mature oak trees. I have explored a range of visual outcomes which use hedgerow plants as a component of the creative process. Digital landscape and still life photographs document the different types of hedgerows and the simple beauty and individuality of the plants within them, and sustainable alternative analogue processes make use of light, leaves and berries. Anthotypes capture an impression of leaves and stems on recycled handmade paper, painted with light sensitive solution created from the same plants. Analogue photographs shot on miniature pinhole cameras made from recycled film cannisters were developed using natural materials collected from the landscape, with the developer made from nettles and the stop bath from rainwater, rather than chemicals.
This series directly engages with my local landscape and reflects my deep personal connection to it.
Exhibition view featuring prints and concertina books
West Garth, Norwich University of the Arts, 2023