I was planning on writing something about seasons this week but I’m sick as a dog, so I’m sharing some pre-existing work instead.
I find perspectives fascinating. How different people can experience and understand a place or a situation in totally different ways. As regular readers will know, I live close to Walthamstow Wetlands in London, Europe’s largest urban wetlands. It attracts and inspires all manner of artists, and a recent exhibition showcased the work of Tottenham-based artist Will Handysides.
Will paints the landscape as he sees it through his own eyes. A musician, sculptor and writer would create their own, wildly different work, although all coming from the same space.
I created a little film a while ago. No talking, no people, just film and music, presenting a landscape from my own perspective. I find these exercises in documentation useful - not only for my own creative practice but also to mark moments in time.
This particular film was shot in the summer of 2022, during a heatwave that became the UK’s hottest ever recorded. It was so hot the trees shed their leaves in a stress response, making landscapes in July look like mid-October.
Yet even in the heat there was life to be found, among the lichens and the juvenile coots and the basking butterflies. It’s a portrait of a place that demonstrates adaptation and resilience in the face of significant harm.
It’s not the best footage I’ve filmed, but that’s also part of the process. Much like journalling, the benefit comes from doing the work rather than fussing about perfection. It’s about the process - not the end result.
I’d like to do more of these kinds of video portraits. Where do you think would be a good place to film the next one? Let me know in the comments or by responding to this email.
You can watch the film via the link above or on YouTube.
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