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Artist-in-Residence February Journal

Without anthropomorphising nature, it's interesting to see a landscape from a different point of view sometimes.  A day late in February (possibly the only rain-free day of the month) provided a great winter light to explore different vistas near Goutsford Bridge. From the position of a small plant overlooking a stream or from the branch of a tall tree, there can be a new outlook on the lay of the land, one which might even seem topsy-turvy or vertiginous. 

The way we often experience a landscape can be beset with prejudices or expectations.  The idea that there exists a perfect landscape might stem from the story of Eden, and our expulsion from that place puts us firmly in a position of wrong-doers craving an idealised environment.  Thus pervades the idea that a perfect environment should show no signs of human habitation, with the ultimate goal a 'virginal' wilderness untouched by humans. Any sign of detritus demotes a place.

But is it possible for a small tattered piece of plastic that looks like a flag (alerting the passery-by to notice the high-tide mark along the branches of trees overhaning the river) to hold its own power?  Or does our current ecological situation imbue this material with such demonic powers that it ruins a walk by the river?

Whatever our point of view, it can, and perhaps should, be challenged sometimes.