Magical and imaginary space.
Near the school
Japanese influence
Paradise series
Alice in Wonderland
Tale of Pumpkin Wood
Beasts of Bramblefield
My original idea: What colour is autumn?
I would like to collaborate with people interested in collectively developing a series of alternative ‘essence of autumn’ images that are less stereotypical and more creative and meaningful for the 21st century than the ones we normally see.
In Europe this month is now technically in autumn. But in UK there is abnormally warm weather over much of the country. What I see in my garden and walks by the river ranges from remnants of bright green to dull fading greens of dying grass, grey whites and browns of dried seed heads and white purple-veined convolvulus flowers spreading in dark green hedge shadows. The occasional yellow flowerhead, faded red poppy and blue cornflower. There are only occasional splashes of the traditional autumn oranges and reds of turning leaves that I assume will at some point in the near future burst to fill the conventionally picturesque autumn scene, Though actually what I see are mostly terminally shrivelled rusty browns of diseased horse chestnut trees. I am anticipating later the melancholy end-of-year dark browns and purples of decaying wet leaves, punctuated with white grey mushrooms and fungus.
I apologise for the late night lyricism. But I have many questions, for example:
- What is colour anyway, given that we all perceive things rather differently? What does the camera capture when we talk of colour? How ‘accurate’ can photography be? and, given the variations in individual perception, what do we mean by ‘accurate’ amyway?
- What are the geographical differences in ’objective colours of autumn’? Are autumn colours different in urban areas and cities than in rural areas? In other regions of the Northern hemisphere? In the Southern hemisphere Spring?
- How is ‘objective’ colour linked to our subjective emotional associations? How do different colours convey different moods associated with autumn? How does this vary between cultures?
- How does climate change and what we actually see this year affect our conception of ‘autumn colours’?
These are only my initial late night thoughts. Other people may have very different conceptions and questions to shape the discussion. On a practical manageability level in the timeframe, photographs could be existing photographs, new images through the window of the street or garden, a walk around where you live or further afield, objects brought home, something more abstract etc etc etc etc.
Bramblefields is a small nature reserve just down the road from my house between the allotments and a housing estate that was built in the late 1990s. I helped lobby for it to be set up, contacting local Green and wildlife organisations, to reserve some green space for wildlife linked to other wildlife corridors along the river. Part of the land was where we had allotments, other land had been a horse field that was too waterlogged for either allotments or housing and was developed as a wetland area. It backs onto the local junior school and includes an adventure play area and is used for various school nature activities.
The area – and its magic – have been one of my key discoveries and from Lockdown. Although it is used at certain times by dog walkers, it is generally quiet. So a good place to go when my normal daily walk along the river was too crowded with joggers as well as rowers and other users who would normally have been at work or exercised in the gym.
It is also a place surrounded by rapid (noisy) development connected to Cambridge North Station and Cambridge peri-urban expansion. It is also subject to sporadic outbursts of vandalism that threaten to destroy some of the most valuable wildlife habitats.
‘Bramblefield Chronicles’ is an experimental illustration, photography and video project exploring how sketchbook work and creative DSLR/iPhone photography and video capture and processing can together form the basis for developing a short graphic novel:
- Tale of Pumpkin Wood: a sketchbook-based short graphic fiction book about love, violence and impossibilities of insulating communities and life again external events and inevitable passage of time.
The development of narrative, images and creative styles is based on supporting documentary work:
- Bramblefield Chronicles: a Calendar and draft documentary Photobook using experimental time-focused DSLR and iPhone photography capture techniques conveying some of the magic of Bramblefields through the seasons.
- ‘Beasts of Bramblefield’ is a draft video and animation of human and natural activities September 2021 – December 2022.
It is part of longer-term documentary and creative projects linked to possible future community work with Cambridgeshire Wildlife Trust and local school next to Bramblefields.
Bramblefield Chronicles: documentary photography
September
october
november
december
january
february
march
april
May
june
july
august
Beasts of Bramblefield:
Video documentary
Edited from iPhone videos of walks through Bramblefields, with audio. Featuring squirrels, deer, birds, cat, traces of children, litter and my large shadow.
‘Tale of Pumpkin Wood’
A sketchbook-based short graphic fiction book about love, violence and impossibilities of insulating communities and life again external events and inevitable passage of time.
——————————————————————–
Bramblefields is a small nature reserve just down the road from my house between the allotments and a housing estate that was built in the late 1990s. I helped lobby for it to be set up, contacting local Green and wildlife organisations, to reserve some green space for wildlife linked to other wildlife corridors along the river. Part of the land was where we had allotments, other land had been a horse field that was too waterlogged for either allotments or housing and was developed as a wetland area. It backs onto the local junior school and includes an adventure play area and is used for various school nature activities.
The area – and its magic – have been one of my key discoveries and from Lockdown. Although it is used at certain times by dog walkers, it is generally quiet. So a good place to go when my normal daily walk along the river was too crowded with joggers as well as rowers and other users who would normally have been at work or exercised in the gym.
It is also a place surrounded by rapid (noisy) development connected to Cambridge North Station and Cambridge peri-urban expansion. It is also subject to sporadic outbursts of vandalism that threaten to destroy some of the most valuable wildlife habitats.
‘Bramblefield Chronicles’ is an experimental illustration, photography and video project exploring how sketchbook work and creative DSLR/iPhone photography and video capture and processing can together form the basis for developing a short graphic novel:
The development of narrative, images and creative styles is based on supporting documentary work:
It is part of longer-term documentary and creative projects linked to possible future community work with Cambridgeshire Wildlife Trust and local school next to Bramblefields.
Bramblefield Chronicles: documentary photography
September
october
november
december
january
february
march
april
May
june
july
august
Beasts of Bramblefield:
Video documentary
Edited from iPhone videos of walks through Bramblefields, with audio. Featuring squirrels, deer, birds, cat, traces of children, litter and my large shadow.
‘Tale of Pumpkin Wood’
A sketchbook-based short graphic fiction book about love, violence and impossibilities of insulating communities and life again external events and inevitable passage of time.