| I have come
to view the world as a record of the consequences of human endeavour.
It is difficult to remove oneself from the constant reminders of
how we have influenced our environment and altered the landscape.
The archaeological record holds fragile evidence of our activity,
and attempting to understand or decipher this record has been a
starting point for my visual research.
My current work documents the shift from an economy reliant on natural
resources to one more based on information and technology. This
change has left in its wake a legacy of disused industrial structures
typified by abandoned mines, mills and factories and their related
town-sites. I have been exploring these ruins and photographing
the traces of activity left behind by the people who were employed
in these industries. I would like to draw attention to the small
gestures that are often overlooked. Although the subject matter
of my work is obvious, the content of my photogravures is enigmatic
as I challenge myself to create images that are intense and revealing
but free of sentimentality.
I have chosen to work in photogravure because of the connection
between the historic nature of the work and the inherent documentary
qualities of photography. The characteristics of the process contribute
to the images through the inevitable imperfections, the wide range
of tonalities, and the exquisite detail that one can print from
photogravure plates. The resulting work has a refinement and a sense
of permanence that I hope acknowledges our past, reflects our present
and contemplates our future. |
