My photography practice is in a state of transition. Previously, I would go out with a camera and see what happened. I never worked to a brief, never thought beyond the fact that I would be exploring a city or a coastline. Some good pictures emerged, but it was more by luck than judgement.
Producing the work in progress portfolios for the last three modules has lead to significant change. Whilst building those portfolios, I went out looking for specific things to capture. The work became much more focused. As I enter into Informing Contexts and with the Final Major Project looming, I find myself taking a much more conceptual approach.
My FMP will be entitled And The Waters Increased, a phrase taken from the biblical book of Genesis. The story of Noah and the flood is curious in that versions of it appear in many ancient cultures across the world. The Babylonian Epic of Gilgamesh, the story of Dwyfan and Dwyfach from the Welsh Triads and the story of Nu’u in Hawaiian mythology all tell essentially the same story; that in ancient times, a great flood occurred and only a selected few survived to repopulate the earth.
Humanity is collectively revisiting this story as scientists tell us that dramatically increased levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere will lead to rising sea levels and resultant catastrophe. I am looking for ways for my photography to examine this crisis and be instrumental in sounding the alarm.
So I have moved from simply capturing pictures I encounter, to planning the story I wish to tell. Only the most accomplished story-teller can improvise an entire story. I’m not that person. But I’m committed to dreaming up ideas, imagining how they may be expressed and then planning their execution. I now have a book of ideas, make technical notes and examine the work of other artists for inspiration and guidance.
I am also thinking about how my work might eventually be consumed. I have already established links with Extinction Rebellion and added pictures to their Media and Messaging resources. This work is photojournalism. I would like to make my conceptual work available to XR or other environmental campaigning organisations as part of their messaging. Ideally, I would like to build a reputation in the field of environmental campaigning and take full control of the message I include in my work.