Bird/land

[jerry12953]

I've been wondering where and how to post this as I wanted it to be a bit more than a plug for an exhibition. So there's also a link to a press release, and to my website, where more of the work can be seen. People were discussing artist's statements in another thread recently so I'll include mine as well!

Having been a landscape specialist for many years I began to incorporate wildlife into my work more and more often. So for example when I did a project on the Welsh coastline it seemed churlish not include some of the wildlife I came across, especially as I'd been equally interested in wildlife for as long as I'd been into photography.

However there are some fantastic bird photographers around and I realised that I would be forever playing catch-up if I tried to re-create their style. I felt that my long background as a landscape photographer allowed me to incorporate a bird's surroundings into an image in a way that most bird photographers seem to deliberately avoid.

Hence Bird/land.

Just to make it more difficult for myself - or maybe to actually make it more interesting - I decided that all (most) of the images should be in panoramic format and be mounted and framed in sets of three (five), linked by species, location, or aesthetic considerations. In fact the combinations that worked most successfully, I think, were those that combined all three of those.

OK well here's five works for now and I'll upload a few more later. Also the other stuff I talked about!

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[Pookeyhead]

OK well here's five works for now and I'll upload a few more later. Also the other stuff I talked about!

What other stuff?

Well... bird photography with some creativity.... about time.

I think if you're going to limit yourself to a format, it should be the SAME format... although all panoramic they're different. Which if exhibited would make them tricky to curate. You;d end up displaying them as you have here, and almost three separate sets. Fine on a screen, but trickier in a gallery. Unless that's what you want of course... but as they're just sort of all lumped together here on screen it's hard to tell. I'd be interested know how you'd curate this as an exhibition. You seem to suggest separating them as sets... which would work though. You'd need a lot of wall space!

The statement doesn't really explain some of this though. I get the bird in context... in it's natural space. That is working here... but the cartoon stuff. That needs some context. How's that fitting in? Is that your artwork, or images of artwork in public space? Tell me about that, I'm intrigued. I feel i'm missing something that isn't explained in your statement... they fight so severely with the other four sets I'm sure there's a reason I'm just not getting.

There's something working well with the first three sets... the regimented geometry of it... the 4th jumps to a more organic feel too abruptly perhaps. Perhaps I need to see the others you mention.

interesting. Wanting to know more though.

 

[jerry12953]

They are all framed in sets of three (or five) plus two single images. A few are vertical. There's 35 altogether. The cartoons are a humourous interlude; all about birds feeding, as it happens.View attachment 41083 .

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There's more on my website

http://www.wild-wales.com/component/option,com_zoom/catid,36/

 

[jerry12953]

There follows the artists statement accompanying the exhibition.

BIRD/LAND final version JEREMYMOORE


I have been interested in birds for as long as I had been interested in photography. Before I became a professional photographer I had worked for bird and wildlife conservation organisations such as the RSPB and Nature Conservancy Council. For many years I described myself as a landscape photographer and until a few years ago my two interests ran more or less in parallel. Bird photography requires specialist equipment and a completely different mind-set and it had never really appealed to me.




Once I did buy suitable equipment I found myself more and more drawn to bird photography, and it gave me a new lease of life as a photographer. But many years spent photographing the landscape have, I believe, given me the vision to incorporate a bird's surroundings into an image in a way that most bird photographers miss. Inspiration came originally from the “Rakusan Kachou Gafu” - bird and flower wood block prints by the Japanese artist Rakusan Tsuchiya. In these the bird may be partly obscured by its surroundings, or perched near the edge of the frame, looking outwards. Anathema to the bird photographer!




In my dreams I would be able to emulate the vision of the English artist Michael Warren, whose paintings contain accurate records of birds, but set within a stylised and almost surreal treatment of their surroundings. The subject matter of Warren's paintings is 'in focus' from the nearest foreground detail to the furthest horizon, despite high levels of magnification. This is something that the photographer will never be able to replicate. The optical limitations of photographic equipment are just too great. But in his 1986 book “Shorelines” he writes “The stimulus was often a bird's surroundings rather than an intention to paint a particular species”. This was the approach that I often found myself taking.




The temptation is almost always to get as close as possible when photographing birds. The use of a zoom lens enabled me to metaphorically “step back” from a bird it to show it within its habitat - even though this often seemed counter-intuitive!




As often diminutive creatures in spacious surroundings birds are likely to be quite small in the camera viewfinder, even at x12 magnification. Almost inevitably the image will need to be cropped to bring the viewer's attention to the bird within it. While cropping my images I found that a very pleasing crop ratio to keep a sense of the bird's surroundings was 1:2.7. This gives a 'letterbox' shaped image, interestingly enough very similar to that favoured by landscape photographers, who often used a Hasselblad Xpan (24 x65mm format) or Fuji 617 (60x170mm) cameras. I have therefore used this as a standard format for the individual images.




I had planned to make several visits to Snettisham, on the eastern side of The Wash in Norfolk. At this RSPB reserve, strategically placed hides allowed very close proximity to huge flocks of waders forced off mud-flats at high tide. There are so many knot, for example, that the birds themselves almost become the landscape. However during December 2013 a massive storm surge washed away the hides and they have not yet been replaced. I'm therefore making a £5.00 donation to the RSPB for every work sold.





Not too much BS there, I hope........

 

[Ed Sutton]

Good stuff. I hadn't seen the cartoons before.

I do like to see photographs presented as sets. I'm reminded a little, because of the panoramic format presented as triptychs, of "Return / Yn Ôl" by Rhodri Jones (Is this something peculiarly Welsh?). Hard to find examples on-line http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/artsandculture/735103/Catch-this.html

 

[Pookeyhead]

Not too much BS there, I hope........

Nope... it does get a bit technical though. Who's your intended audience? Do they need to know the exact aspect ratio, or whether that is similar to a Xpan or Fuji617. Just a thought.

The wider aspect is working better than the really skinny one you had in your first post BTW,

I see Warren more than Rakusan in these incidentally.

Still curious about the cartoons though [edit]... didn't see the comments re: this as it was kind of woven into the images a bit.] Are these artworks in a public space, or your own? If lifted from another publication you may want permission before using them in your own book or exhibition. If old postcards or shots of artwork in a public space, you'll probably be fine. Still not sure just having one set like this would work though... they're too isolated in the series. Unless......

....you place them next to this....

View attachment 41089

...then there's a thematic link that works nicely. How birds adapt to urban environments, and interact with us. I absolutely get the cartoon themselves (had chips nicked off my fork by gulls before now on Blackpool prom )... but aesthetically they jar a bit with the rest of the work.

"Return / Yn Ôl" by Rhodri Jones (Is this something peculiarly Welsh?)

That's such a beautifully made book BTW.

@jerry12953 Agreed re: the triptych, but as an exhibition would these be framed individually? If so they'll need a great deal of space unless they're printed small or hung salon style. I can this working easier as a book.

If you were to exhibit them, how big do you see them being?

 

[Ed Sutton]

That's such a beautifully made book BTW.

One of my faves.

 

[jerry12953]

Good stuff. I hadn't seen the cartoons before.

I do like to see photographs presented as sets. I'm reminded a little, because of the panoramic format presented as triptychs, of "Return / Yn Ôl" by Rhodri Jones (Is this something peculiarly Welsh?). Hard to find examples on-line http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/artsandculture/735103/Catch-this.html

Yes, Return / Yn Ol was a superb exhibition, although I haven't seen the book. For a Welshman who lives in Italy (IIRC.....) it was magnificent. I think I remember some vertical format Xpan images, among other things. I'll have to add it to my book collection. But no, it's not a Welsh thing as far as I know......

I included the cartoons as a bit of light relief or a question mark. I envisaged hanging it separately so that not many people would notice it. In fact it's on its own next to the bar where they serve a little bit of food.

 

[jerry12953]

Nope... it does get a bit technical though. Who's your intended audience? Do they need to know the exact aspect ratio, or whether that is similar to a Xpan or Fuji617. Just a thought.

Yes, I wondered about that. It probably wasn't necessary to include camera models. I liked the general idea of presenting bird photographs in landscape format images though.

Still curious about the cartoons though [edit]... didn't see the comments re: this as it was kind of woven into the images a bit.] Are these artworks in a public space, or your own? If lifted from another publication you may want permission before using them in your own book or exhibition. If old postcards or shots of artwork in a public space, you'll probably be fine. Still not sure just having one set like this would work though... they're too isolated in the series. Unless......

See above! One is a placard outside the pier at Aberystwyth (it does chips) , although I think painted by an artist, one on the side of a bus, the third part of a painted mural inside a bird hide at Leighton Moss. I seriously wondered if ought to contact the artist about the latter but it was a very small portion of a very large "work". Decided not to in the end. I was worried that he might say no.

@jerry12953 Agreed re: the triptych, but as an exhibition would these be framed individually? If so they'll need a great deal of space unless they're printed small or hung salon style. I can this working easier as a book.

If you were to exhibit them, how big do you see them being?

They are actually framed as shown - quite small (20x16 frames), partly for reasons of cost and partly because I wasn't sure to begin with what sort of quality I'd get from my equipment and/or some big crops. But the quality is fine. Printed and framed by a chap called Andrew Jackson who lives in deepest mid-Wales and is an absolute perfectionist. I'd highly recommend him.

What is salon-style, by the way?

They are on show at the moment so if anyone is planning a trip to mid-Wales this summer, they are at MOMA Wales, Machynlleth, Powys until September 19th. (Mon > Sat, 10am > 4pm)

I could see them making a great book- not that I'm biased or anything. I tried one Welsh publisher but with no joy. I think they fall between two stools, or more. Not one thing or another so difficult to pigeonhole. I also tried a landscape book publisher who said they were too birdy. I can imagine a bird photography publisher would say they were too landscapy..... I suppose that is a risk of doing something original.

 

[Pookeyhead]

See above! One is a placard outside the pier at Aberystwyth (it does chips) , although I think painted by an artist, one on the side of a bus, the third part of a painted mural inside a bird hide at Leighton Moss. I seriously wondered if ought to contact the artist about the latter but it was a very small portion of a very large "work". Decided not to in the end. I was worried that he might say no.

Don't worry then.. you'll be fine.

They are actually framed as shown - quite small (20x16 frames), partly for reasons of cost and partly because I wasn't sure to begin with what sort of quality I'd get from my equipment and/or some big crops. But the quality is fine. Printed and framed by a chap called Andrew Jackson who lives in deepest mid-Wales and is an absolute perfectionist. I'd highly recommend him.

Too far away... I have a friendly framer here though, very exacting. I print my own work these days. I never managed to find a printer than can get it right every time.. plus a great deal cheaper

What is salon-style, by the way?

Very close spaced... almost randomised. but having read more, that wouldn't work with what you wanted. Now I've seen how important it is for the sets with all of them it wouldn't be ideal.

They are on show at the moment so if anyone is planning a trip to mid-Wales this summer, they are at MOMA Wales, Machynlleth, Powys until September 19th. (Mon > Sat, 10am > 4pm)

No plans to, no, but I've got three projects on the go at the minute, so who knows where they'll take me

I could see them making a great book- not that I'm biased or anything. I tried one Welsh publisher but with no joy. I think they fall between two stools, or more. Not one thing or another so difficult to pigeonhole. I also tried a landscape book publisher who said they were too birdy. I can imagine a bird photography publisher would say they were too landscapy..... I suppose that is a risk of doing something original.

Self publish then It's all the rage these days Can sell as many as you could if "published" if you market it right.