nature morte (2010)
found objects
nature morte (plural natures mortes) noun: ‘dead nature’ (French) An image depicting inanimate objects; a still life.
This project was an exploration of using photography to capture what drew me time and time again to certain objects gathered on daily beach walks with the dogs.
Central to the work shown here was a sense of respecting - even honouring, perhaps - the previous existence of these still-life, ‘dead nature’ bodies.
To achieve this sense of the peaceful, delicate, ethereal, I photographed all the objects outdoors in a soft natural light with gentle shadows and very short depth of field. Each sits on a piece of ruffled linen or muslin and I have focused on the tiny details that suggest life and movement, wisps of hair or a loose piece of thread.
This first venture into the world of high-key photography, and the many hours spent in the darkroom trying to achieve the perfect balance between light and shadow and focusing on those tiniest of details that could made each body come to life , has had a significant impact on my practice.
