Eternal Stillness (2022)

Charcoal screen-printed onto handmade paper (plant matter & recycled artworks)

Each piece measures approximately 27cm x 21cm (total of six pieces)

Eternal Stillness is a process-based photographic project which distills the meditative impact of my walking practice into 6 images using alternative methodologies and materials.

Eternal Stillness positions the exercise of walking as humankind’s most basic dialogue with the earth, with the final 6 images documenting and displaying my collaborations with the bushland I grew up around. The title of this series encompasses both the characteristics of the landscape being documented as well as the necessities for each photograph to emerge.

Rejecting notions of human domination and pursuing a collaboration with nature, Eternal Stillness employs various methodologies which mimic the essence of my walking practice. Initially, a pinhole camera was created to capture imagery during the walks I took in the bush, with exposure times ranging between 40-80 seconds depending on the amount of light available in each location. In collaboration with the environment, fallen tree trunks were used as the subject for each photograph. These images were then processed using caffenol developer and salt fixer, before being scanned and converted to positives. Next, the images were screen-printed using charcoal onto paper handmade from both recycled artworks, as well as plant matter sourced directly from the bushland where my walks were conducted.

The time taken to enact these methodologies proved to be just as meditative as being immersed in the landscape. Thus, the application of such processes in this series effectively converts the calming state that nature awakens into an exhibitable form of art.