A falling or wilting autumn flower is more beautiful than one in full bloom. The Cherry blossom tree is the epitome of this conception of beauty; the flowers bloom and then fall within a single week. Bringing beauty with its end.
Both Mono no aware and the poems of Lucretius brought insight into what I took as a simple observation from a seed I would sow. Recording that fascination and observation with a camera to discover more of the beauty and transformations from the images recorded onto film via the apparatus to the darkroom. Every process changing and unpredictable, very much like nature itself.
What started as subconsciously photographing subjects towards their end, I found an aesthetic or a fascination within its form as it slowly fades. The misconception that a flower that has died is no longer beautiful but on reflection it is at its most fertile. Beauty in the seeds and the pod and the many fascinating distribution methods that each plant species has to reproduce for the following season are a wonder in themselves.
I chose to photograph in a studio space with a traditional film plate camera. This process results in methodical image capture that is conducive to reflective thinking as it slows down and allows meditation on nature and its forms and function. There is time to seek out connections and explore microscopic worlds. The resulting photographs allow us to engage in questioning, exploring and sharing an intimate hidden world made available by mechanical means.
All images shot on 5x4 and 8x10 film.
Limited edition hand prints on fibre based paper are available. Please enquire for more information.
All images subject to ©2016