Interpretation of the brief
I was feeling a bit melancholic before Christmas. I always find it an odd time and wanted to explore that process of the hope and joy of looking forwards but the grief and fear of looking backwards and realising what has been lost. There’s a lot of emotion around that time of year.
Watching a sunrise or sunset is a beautiful experience most people would agree, it represents the passage of time, the transformation from day-night-day, death and birth, hope and grief perhaps. The sea also has this sense of duality, calm and ferocious, life and death etc. The sublime is the terror and helplessness we might feel in the face of the realisation that we are powerless over the passage of time and that eventually, all things end.
Relationship to the photography and visual culture addressed in Part One
I wanted to capture a certain romanticism of nature akin to the 19th Century painters but with a more contemporary feel and to focus on the spiritual nature of the sublime.
Strengths and weaknesses and ideas for further development
Once I had written the text, I felt more confident about this piece. The ‘inhale-exhale’ is a reference to yogic practices (Sun salutations) but also the sound of the waves and the dynamic nature of life. I think it works well conceptually to juxtapose the eternal nature of the sea with the sense that each moment is fleeting and never to be repeated. It is this unfathomable conundrum of life that I believe to be sublime.
My concern about the piece is putting together a coherent set of images. Each sunrise and sunset was completely different so getting this to work visually was a challenge. My last outing was forecast as a very clear day. I’d thought to pair six sunrise and six sunset images taken on the same day. A thick band of cloud and a dirty sensor meant my images were disappointing.
If I’m honest at this point, I’m unsure what the next step with this would be. I’m thinking to present the images mounted on A3 size foam board, three on each sheet to produce a grid of images. I need to forget about it and return with fresh eyes to see if there’s a different way of doing it. Can I incorporate the text for example?
Technical choices and creative influences
This was inspired by Hiroshi Sugimotos “Seascapes”. I love his work, which for me has a powerful quietness to it. There’s also reference to Mark Rothko and the expressionist painters who use colour and a simplicity of form to evoke emotion. In my final selection I have incorporated a lot of blue because of it’s associations with melancholia and spirituality.
Explanation of certain views and visual outcomes
There were some happy accidents in the beginning. Image 1 above was a result of trying to auto-focus. Image 2 was when I did manage to focus although I realised I was going to have to try to avoid the lights on the wind turbines of which there are many. Image 3 was the result of really clear day. It was at this point that I realised I was going to need to use a filter and smaller aperture. Images 4 and 5 were taken on a strange hazy day. Although there was an unusual light and haze where the sea became almost pink for a while, the cheap filter I was using contributed to the purple colour. I decided to reject these images in favour of what seemed more natural colour although it’s possible I will need to rethink my selection.
Beginnings and Endings
I am standing on the beach in the cold wet sand. The waves are just an inch from my toes. The beach is empty, the sky is dark, and the cold wind blows across my face. Inhale, exhale, the shoreline recedes. Black turns to grey which turns to blue. There is a glow on the horizon. I am calm. A new day begins.
I am standing on the beach in the cold wet sand. The waves have reached my toes. The beach is empty and the sky darkens. Inhale, exhale, the sea covers my feet. A glow of red appears in the sky. I am visited by the grief of impermanence. Nothing lasts. Everything vanishes.
Contact sheets
Demonstration of technical and visual skills
Whilst not all my images were successful, I’ve certainly had some practice in taking long exposures. I stood at the shoreline for at least an hour on each occasion, dealing with the cold was a challenge. I still have a lot to learn with regards to using filters especially in a situation like this where the light is changing at times quite significantly but I’ve done some research in this area and will experiment/practice further.
Quality of outcome
Overall the images are pleasing but it is the coherence of the set that is a problem. I think it will take another ‘look’ in a few months time when I’ve had chance to forget about it, to decide what the final set of images should be.
Demonstration of creativity
Each assignment I do, I try something different. I think this demonstrates a level of creativity.
Context
I think this works well in the context of the traditional notions of the sublime but with a more contemporary viewpoint.
Landscape, Place and Environment 