"January 2013 Allfield
DE - DE - DE
DE - DE - DE
DE - DE - DE
. . .
(Like morse)
ON WOOD
=
Lesser spotted woodpecker
(Heard and not seen)
I venture out for the first time this year, late January. Snow diminishes, water and temperature rise.
Too hot in all my clothes walking to site, out, escaping into the light. sunlight, occasionally, nearly, for the first time this month, year.
I wade through the flooded road halfway up my wellies. Fields are white, dripping, Slush and ice, water, mud; brown, black,white. I exile myself from indoors and the screen. Breathe, heat even sweat. Sound of the soft compaction on the remaindered snow, off the road into the wet wood, green emerges, shoots show through mushed leaves, green on brown. Life awakes defying gravity. The ground is soft and flattened, the wood, though wet, is easy to move through. Without wellingtons I would not venture, as I move the water is rising, snow diminishing.
I consider one tree-fall, near Shomere, I've seen it before, never imaged it. Maybe on my way back - perhaps I always think this here, keener to get to somewhere I am going although I am not sure where that sums up to be. I intuit to a point of satisfaction. Far enough in to start. I intend to make one work and return. Before, and sometimes still, I venture to push all effort beyond my limits of pleasantness. Sometimes fruitfully, but not on this occasion.
Time compacts again as I see the way to where I was last time here. Flashes of memory and remembered images. Memories embody movement and effort as well as vision. The trigger is the way up I came down. I could meet myself here.
I turn deeper into the marshy woodland, off human paths to the fox and badger trail - no human prints here. The trail is obstructed only above the height of the mammals that nocturnally traverse them. They will know I've been here, smell my alien scent and manufactured belongings. Considering, looking, moving, stopping, listening. DE - DE - DE DE - DE - DE. A rustle above. the squirrels are still in the ivy here. The camera is still on my back. the drips enhance my spatial awareness loud and quiet to imperceptibility. Near drops loud.
Familiar sites are passed on. Then I know. I've been here before and suddenly it fits. Another tree-fall, out in the water. Instantly, nearly, perhaps I simultaneously see the object and remember the image I made hear last, subtracting all the other potentials and the environment to inhabit this space. One I have constructed before.
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| Tree-fall #5 Version #1 |
I relate much quicker, less to take in, revel and revealing change.
The water is higher (and rising). Frozen slush breaks as I immerse my foot, halfway up the boot. I move in and think, not the same position. Initially I think it is too hard to get to, the water too deep. Potential of cold not heat now. I move back to the bank put down my bag and the rods. Take off my coat (will it rain?)
I decide to pause
Then I place the ranging rod near the tree-bowl, not like before. Out into the water. Why is the best position often mediated by my overall (physical, not conceptual) approach? I decide the position I reach in the water, close to my initial look is the one. Difference is good. This is not the same place as it was the last time I was here, so I need to emphasise this in my work. I push the extended tripod down into the mud below the ice and water and work. Difference is what I hope for, with inevitably recognisable similarity. I vary my position as my feet get colder. Three pairs of socks are nearly not enough. At the end I remove the camera from the tripod and shoot around the edges of my composite environment hoping that more kind errors will occur in processing.
It's done. Unlike the Canine bones image, I do not have a transformative experience ( in terms of my awareness of the space) whilst in the process of making, rather this began when I entered my own comfortable space here, The reciprocal place I know much better than the bones site ( I guess I'll never go there again).
The inhabiting process is transformative because I desire it more. I realise I need this for my well being. Therapeutic.
Having done, do I make more? Bodily not cold (my feet have warmed since leaving the water). Also not too tired. Hunger makes me desire leaving.
I look at the ground and up to the canopy above and I am reminded of images made by geographer Oliver Rackman in Ancient Woodland: Its History, Vegetation and Uses in England, 2003. He made circular images looking up into the canopy to record change. I also think of unsuccessful composites made in the summer of the ground and think also of long images made in Field -Walk that were successful,
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| Long Skull from Field Walk |
I decide to amalgamate these things.
THESE THINGS;
1. Immediate perception and a desire to make work.
2. A reference to work by someone else.
3. A re-working of work of my own.
As I walk out of the wood I make a series of three views; Ground, Horizontal and Canopy, at various spots. I play loosely, thinking of perception + object - environment, trying not to make this transition but inevitably making decisions - not snow - running water yes! - add a tree-fall - use a ranging rod. A constant decision here, yes, no, not close to the holly, yes looking into the chilled water.
I move out back to the trail home. Finally I do stop and photograph the tree-fall near Shomere, but badly - satisfied that I have done enough today.
The fields have turned green as I exit the woods. Still patched by white and brown. I struggle through the flood using the ranging rods to look for shallow ground, slowly moving on tiptoe, so as not to allow the wave, so near the top of my boots, from washing over. Ahead three dogs, Jess, Kasha and Granville wag in anticipation and my wife wishes she had her camera. Still waters rising, but I made it without spilling down the inside of my boots."
The resulting image;
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| Tree-fall #5 Version #2 |
Here are a two results of experiments of perceptive perspective as described above;
What role this approach plays in this project is yet to be resolved.
