Dolmen, The Burren, IE

Photogravure · Plate size 47.4 × 19.3cm · 2003

This project has provided me an opportunity to get out of the studio and immerse myself in strange, wonderful and under-appreciated natural environments. Photographing the Barrens on two different continents was an enlightening experience: geologically, botanically and culturally.

Thrombolites, Flowers Cove, NL

Photogravure · Plate size 46.8 × 19.1cm · 2003

My approach to this project has been to wander the spaces and absorb the ambience. I paid attention to the details and the subtle signs of human activity which are easily lost in the wide open space. I photographed in three distinct formats in order to visually recreate the experience of these details within the limestone barrens. In the case of a panoramic view, I documented the expanse of the environment and the viewer's context within it, often including my own feet in vertical views. In order to transform these abstracted black and white images from transparent photographic views into objects, I used the process of photogravure to print them on heavy paper using ink. In contrast to this, the colour stereo views provide a three-dimensional or visually spatial experience of the same environments and details of the limestone barrens.

Woodpile, Cape Norman, NL

Photogravure · Plate size 46.8 × 19.1cm · 2003

The amazing thing about this project was the realization that these seemingly barren environments are rich with life, history and rugged beauty. In making these images, I sought to transform the actual situation into emotionally charged visual experiences rendering them darker, more brittle, or even more romantic. My own interests in surface detail, erosion and transformation were instrumental in how I approached this subject. Although it is not possible to totally recreate the experience of the barrens, these prints hopefully redirect the viewers' attention to the rich potentialities of these exquisite places.

For more information about the Limestone Barrens Project, see the project website.