Finding the Silence

Loss of Tranquillity in a Hyperconnected age, Modern life is increasingly loud, fast and digitised. There is a persistent myth of the countryside as untouched, idyllic and timeless, this project looks to confront that myth head-on. Inspired by American photographer Robert Adams's work "American Silence" which investigated a similar theme in the American Mid West, together with the work of Fay Godwin, particularly through her seminal collection Land (1985), which focused on the British countryside as a contested space—often marked by the scars of industrial, agricultural, or governmental interventions. She exposed the contrast between idealised notions of “natural” rural beauty and the reality of land ownership, enclosure, and ecological disruption. Godwin managed to strike a balance between documentation and poetic expression. Her images serve as both witness and elegy, much like what this project  is aiming for—recording reality while evoking a sense of cultural and environmental loss.

I am working with the Poet, Musician and Creative Educator Martin Daws to build this project into a multi disciplinary exhibition,  including Martin's poetry and utilising enhanced accessibility features that will give a more immersive experience and allow for a wider audience, more details to follow.