Responding to the Counterculture brief, I was interested in exploring the countercultural movement behind the right to roam, and the potential loss of our freedom to roam in the UK. As someone who grew up in a rural area, I acutely feel the impact of that loss, however I wanted viewers of all backgrounds to be able to connect with the issue, so I proceeded to focus solely on the act of walking. I started out by exploring walking and the methods of documenting it. I took a series of black and white photographs during my walks with the aim of giving a sense of the act of walking, and showing the route stretched out in front. I chose to produce full prints of two of these (Avenues) because I was visually interested in the way the routes were arranged in rows and felt the two images worked well together. A studio member commented about our infrastructure being arranged in rows, dictating to us where to walk- I was pleased that this is what they had understood from the images. If I were to change anything, I would have made some adjustments during the printing process to make the images more visually similar, for example increasing the contrast of the tree photograph and brightening the road one, and I could have also found other locations to continue the series. One of my aims of the project was to allow viewers to emotionally connect with the idea of walking, and so I felt that a good way of doing this was through their own memories. For this reason, I felt it was important to imbue a sense of nostalgia into the work and I considered various ways of doing so. Inspired by the After the End of History exhibition at the Bonington Gallery, I captured a series of images (Trent Lock to Attenborough Canal Walk) on expired film with the idea that the graininess and faded colouring would bring to mind the film photography of the nineties. The resultant loss of detail in the shadow areas of the images had the effect of simplifying their composition in a pleasing way. I imagine that the images could be quite effective if printed large on fabric or fibrous paper. I also experimented with capturing multiple images on the same frame, walking in between, to try to give a sense of the progression of a walk. From feedback I received, I did not feel that this idea was readable from the images, however it did perhaps evoke rolling hills, and I felt that the images were successful in emphasising the natural lines of the landscape. I chose two images (Natural Lines) to process in a colour darkroom. I found it challenging to achieve the colour balance I was looking for but received support with this from the processing lab, and I was pleased with the final prints.
Alongside photography, I explored other methods of documenting walking. Inspired by artist Andrew Brown, I experimented with soundwalks- walking with the purpose of listening. I carried out my own soundwalk, however I ultimately felt restricted by the lack of visual information of the medium. I would be interested in the future to try presenting visual images in conjunction with sound recordings to see whether this would bring a fuller experience to the audience. It would effectively bring the experience of a walk to the viewer in their own location. Another artist who addresses this is Simon Faithfull, who produced a series of sketches from a journey in one location and installed them in another. In future, I would like to try doing something similiar, perhaps by documenting a physical location and taking it into a digital space. It could be an opportunity to discuss the issues surrounding the inequality of access to green spaces in the UK.
I also explored map making, and I was particularly interested in the subjectivity of maps- the manner in which a map is influenced by the perspective of the person who made it. Inspired by antique maps of the local area, I produced my own illustrated map (Subjective Map of Yorkshire Sculpture Park Walk) showing the story of a walk from my perspective. I did attempt a painted version where I overlayed a view of the location with its map and I had intended to abstract them in a way that merged the two perspectives. It meant that both images were ambiguous and I felt that it was unclear what my intent was, so I changed my approach to using a map I had collected from the location and overlaying it with my sketches of different scenes from the walk. I enjoyed the final result because I felt that it gave an accurate reflection of my experience of the walk.
Presenting my work on a large screen allowed me to see it with fresh eyes as well as gaining the benefit of others perspectives. I felt that the finished pieces were cohesive as a whole, and that studio members were able to understand the purpose and context of the work, including those who did not have prior knowledge of the right to roam. Next time I would like to include some of the other forms of media that I experimented with into my presentation, to give a more multi-sensory approach and to make the work more immersive.
Going forward, I would like to explore the idea of the human role in the natural landscape. Alison Lloyd was an artist who considered walking to be an artistic act, and during her walks, she would place her camera on the ground and photograph herself within the landscape, showing her relationship to it. If I have the opportunity, I would like to explore this idea, and our role as conservators of the natural environment as well as examining our symbiotic relationship with the earth.