'Night Woods - White Woods and Volcaniclastic'
The collection of prints present has been selected from three series of work,
Night Woods, White Woods and
Volcaniclastic. The first and second of the three both focus on woodland but address opposite experiences.
Night Woods seeks to explore the deep-rooted fear, held by many, of being caught or trapped in the forest at night. Such fear can be said to stem from the subconscious mind; whether it is fuelled by the warnings of evil hiding in the shadows and darkness of childhood fairy tales or the human survival instinct. The work depicts scenes of the unseen night time forest, highlighted by the limited reach of a fading and inconsistent torch light, empathising with the reality of such an unsettling experience.
In contrast
White Woods explores a lighter state of mind where reverie and serenity reign, often experienced while spending leisure time in the countryside. It is a romantic sentiment, which embraces an idyllic view of the British countryside wholeheartedly and without remorse.
Throughout the work a centered negative space is utilised to draw attention into the composition, as if guiding a daydreamers gaze, simulating the sky gazing so often done while walking.
Lastly, but by no means least is
Volcaniclastic, a series of work combining geology and photography, with aspects of personal connections in relation to the location. While exploiting black and white photography's nature to highlight and record detail, the series also offers an in depth and close up view of the rock outcrops of Bradgate Park, Leicestershire. Form and detail are brought together through the compositions to produce an almost sculptural quality in the work. Elements of time and history are also woven into the series due to the rock being some of the oldest in England at around 600million years old and the geological evidence in the rock that depicts how different and violent our landscape once was.
Visit Sarah's photo galleries at
www.sarahelson.co.uk
Email:
sarah.e.elson@gmail.com
