This way, in the wood

This past few weeks I have been working in woodland around the area i was bought up. It has a significance to me as my camera is from these woods, its wood is of these trees and these woods hold a special significance to me, even before. this is the beginning of a new project, which will explore the place I am from.

Standing in a wood

The rain is coming down. I have a few more pictures to make here, before i move for the night

A wood

working in the van. A day

Working on the land

Currently working and living in the van around my family home in Kent.

Harvey Benge Interviews Wolfgang Tillman

Harvey Benge interviews Wolfgang Tillman.

France3 News at Intermondes, Sebastian Edge, Andrew Kotting

Andrews last day at the Residence in La Rochelle,

I decided to take and make Andrews Portrait,

the making of this picture was filmed for France 3 news and played later that evening.

As i finished making the negative plate, a chip in the top of the glass split the glass into three pieces, as i lifted it from the dish, a little trickle of my blood went into the tray, and became mixed with chemistry.

This picture becomes the final footnote with Andrew, and the two weeks of me taking pictures, and him making a film.

The Last Day of the Exhibition, La Rochelle

SUD OUEST

SUD OUEST article on the collaboration.

So far, what I am doing here is getting a strong response, people are captivated by why i would choose to take my photos this way. Andrew is running around with his camera, make an archive, a digital logue, alot of sound. every five minutes a camera will be pushed under my arm, so he films what i see.

Day 1, La Rochelle film Festival

We caught the ten am boat from Dover to Calais and began the five hundred mile drive down to La Rochelle. We were met by Arknaud and Edward at the Center Intermonde after being shown where we would be staying in the residensey, we then went to see the exhibition space. Something to eat late, whilst sat on the harbour wall, We discussed how we would show the work we had bought with us. Andrews first film 'Klippity Klopp' and my autobiographical and self investigative photos, a selection of eight hang the walls. Four Vandyke prints, line the wall outside of the space.
My camera temporarilly dominates the corner of the space, waiting to be used to make the new work in the town, a link to the machine the glass plate negatives I will make and display and the prints that adorn the walls.

Festival Film La Rochelle

Sebastian and his camera

Andrew and Eden Kotting

La Rochelle

I leave in under a week, nearly ready for the long trip to La Rochelle, my Darkvan, loaded with 20 plates, to make new work of the people and there stories in the town. I hope to be able to engage and meet with the people of the town during its Film Festival. and form a portrait of the town in my own unique way of going about photography. a tangled web of self construction, elaborate over sized glass plate negatives, and leaving the sitter with a feeling of 'what just happened to me?'

I'll be with Andrew Kotting, making the trip down through France, he is Artist in residence at Center Intermondes. With Andrew I will be making a document of the people and the way we engage with them, it will be interesting, unpacking, re packing the camera, cleaning glass, pouring chemistry, my hands will be black with Silver as it stains the skin. And i will point the camera at the people, though the people will also possibly point at the camera?

Andrew and I will enlist the people to engage with the camera, the Darkvan and ourselves as we attempt to make a picture of the people, lots of people we hope!

Gloria in Transit, will be journaling all our experiences, interviewing, gathering there stories. standing back form it all as the mad Hoi poloi and Klippity Klopp, or rather Edgeland and Tragada dada plays out its story amongst the town.

2nd July 2010 - 11th July 2010

At the Center Intermondes I will be showing work from my archive, a myriad of stories. of people i have met along the way.

Two lightboxes will be in the space to showing two of the giant glass plate negatives from the day before. Along side a film of Andrews, Klippity Klopp, will be screened, in conjunction to and with the new work we will be making together.

Film festival La rochelle, preparation

Preparing for the festival, showing old and new.
Readying the van for the long trip ahead.
I'll be making pictures, a ghostly record, an ecounter, a record a re action and performance to the people of the city. Of La Rochelle

I will be working with film maker Andrew Kotting, as we make work and travel together. We will also be showing work at center intermondes.
2nd - 11th July
More information to come.

Below: James T Ford: the blue grass man from missisipi. who killed a man, worked the land, cut timber and drove a truck before he found his guitar.
Van dyke Selinium toned

Of things to come

Dear Cathy,

Getting wet

First days of the Darkroom

The Darkroom in the studio, saw running water for the first time properly, I made a print, from one of my Glass Plate negatives, whilst Gloria made a number of small prints from her Diana Lomo camera. 

The darkroom is a work in progress. but the work is now definitely progressing.

Rome

a little enlightenment,
in the dark,
it warms the Heart.

The close of the silver age

Light in the eye

Light in my eye,
His left eye,
my right eye,
Lets see what i,
and his i might see.






Thanks for pic andrew. K

Myself under the lights, a cold winter indoors

My New Lights worked, but with the cold and strange oily irremovable film upon the glass, revealed yet more oddities that can be present on the plate. 

The Long exposures make it more difficult for the sitters under the bright white mobile suns. they flinch and squint, the camera misses nothing, each movement is fluid, it is not a snapshot, it is a duration of three minutes, the sitter may move as they want and the Collodion, salt, silver mix will recall as it wants. my camera will move as it wants, loosely guided.

Sheet metal and water

Andy gardener, builds the sink, which will become my darkroom sink for the studio.

The Durst Laborator 5x7 Condenser, my third love. Parts of it have lived outside, wrapped tightly over the winter, a little surface rust, but it is in and nearly ready, my thanks Rodrigo, for your help today.

A room

I've blocked out the light,
The darkroom is almost tight,

The plumbing is on the wall,
Nearly ready for water to fall.

But the darkroom isn't yet ready,
Its not quite right,
But i'm optomistic it might,
It will be,

I've blocked out the light,
The darkroom is almost tight.

Silver nitrate infused skin cell

Spike walkers light micrograph of a silver infused skin cell hair folicle. Which was then exposed and developed.
A pain staking and frustrating process. A labour of love or insightful ability to try and acheive something where others have failed or not been before.
Hats off to spike,
See it at the welcome collection

Space to breathe

Or at least a begining