Statement of Intent
Escapes
This presentation of my work brings together the last three years of my experiences in travel photography. It shows images taken during my visits to England, Scotland, Wales, Iceland and Norway, some of which have been captured in remote and challenging locations.
I named this project ‘Escapes’ because of the sense of isolation and distance that the images project. ‘Isolation’ and ‘distance’ are two words which we have come to hear regularly in these last months since COVID-19. My images came as an antecedent to this pandemic and have not resulted because of it. However, the sheer coincidence of the preparation of my work during this period of lockdown carried with it a wish to escape and made me reflect on the difficulty of dealing with confinement and our desire as humans for open spaces that provide reassurance and calm.
‘Escapes’ is about sourcing and capturing landscapes and seascapes that reveal a sense of tranquillity and safety. I have always been inspired by the symmetry and the reflections that I see around me and, of course, for reflections to occur, one needs water and light, two elements that struck me enormously during my trips to northern European and Scandinavian countries. It is all about water, light and space in these places. Reflections therefore come as a natural consequence. My experiences took me through no less than 4,000 kilometres of driving in quite a variety of climatic and travel conditions. Each trip felt like a welcome period of escape from our rushed lives to one of reflection and stillness. In spite of their motionlessness, the photographs are not uninhabited. Houses, boats and bridges provide comforting features of a life unseen.
‘Escapes’ is being presented in the form of a Qualification panel in full colour format. The editing hours have been numerous, but the personal satisfaction and learning curve have been intense.