Making progress with projects!

A while ago I talked about commenting on the landscape using an A2 chalkboard as part of my photography. I am still fond of this idea, however it didn’t quite express the idea I wanted to convey. As people would ask me “do you like landscape or not?” My answer would be “I’m not sure, I just want to comment on landscape photography”.

So there was my answer.

This work should be about challenging the process and how we see landscape as a two dimensional reproduction.

As Durand famously wrote about looking into the landscape image rather than looting at, (Durand, 1855) I want to create an instillation piece that expresses this idea. I want people to walk into a virtual landscape, but one that is in production, more specifically a darkroom that has images of ‘perfect’ landscape imagery projected around.

These images will be in the form of 4x5 negatives that will have lights behind them so the negative images bounce off the walls. Hopefully the darkroom setting and the smell of chemicals will convey the idea of the landscape image being a process, as well as playing a constant sound taken from a Lake District forest, an unusual setting should be created.

The outcome of this is too convey the message that Durand’s theory is true and photography has made landscape imagery mechanical and a process that is put past the idea of reproducing natural wonder and beauty.