I was recently commissioned by Simon Moreton to write a piece for The Clearing titled Grief, Place, Landscape - A contradictions of sort. The brief was open and it gave me an opportunity to reflect on the contradictions and conflicting feelings that I have about my relationship with nature and the environment.
Personally, I have been trying to counter my carbon footprint and I am trying to be sustainable in the products that I use in my flat. I am slowly trying to transition to become a Vegan, most of my diet is Vegetarian but I am hoping that I can fully transition to Veganism. At some point.
This means that I am developing a deeper and more sincere understanding of the environment, but this is a slight digression from my commission from The Clearing. But back to point at hand…. the piece is written from a position of contradiction and confusion. Here, I was sat in a hotel in Cumbria in early May working on another commission, in an unfamiliar place but I was excited by the prospect of exploring a new location.
I was alone and this was an unfamiliar feeling and context for me to explore a new place. This brought lots of feelings and negging reoccurring fears that come to me when I find myself alone in nature. The threat of violence and the feeling that I would look out of place to some, as a Black woman is a constant whirling loop that goes through my mind. At times my body becomes tens, I put it down to carrying my heavy camera but I think it’s my anxiety turning my body into stone
It’s not the place or landscape that I fear, it’s mostly the people and their attitudes that put me in a position of fear, racism and sexism are daily battles that I face but this is heightened when I am alone and outside of London. I am trying to sit with this feeling and the contradictions that come with my relationship with nature.
All this came out in a flurry and I was glad that I was able to articulate feelings and positions of the current context of my relationship with nature and, specifically with the landscape of England. All of this is feeding into my identity which seems to be shifting and filtering through to my practice.
Many thanks to Simon and The Clearing for providing me with the space to reflect and flesh out my thoughts
Photos from my WIP 2021 project - photos of trees in Brockwell Park, South London
Photos from my WIP 2021 project - photos of trees in Brockwell Park, South London
Photos from my WIP 2021 project - photos of trees in Brockwell Park, South London
Photos from my WIP 2021 project - photos of trees in Brockwell Park, South London