Initial observations of the geography within my field of vision, despite my exile, were clouded by the congestion carried from elsewhere. Whilst aiming to capture aspects of detachment, there is considerable baggage to shed in order to gain a clearer view of the world in slower mode. Despite carrying these thoughts into open space and wrestling with the expectations of the English landscape tradition - it was noticeable how days became a lot longer when less time was spent traveling.

In the post Romantic period of the British countryside the conflict exists between our mental construction of wilderness and the realities of an overdeveloped world. The demands of industry and the vanity of human ownership have squeezed out the parameters of the rural idyll – leaving maybe only the illusions of space available through the constructions of the camera.  In overcoming feelings of isolation I concurred with Alpers’ affirmation that “Artists often need to be withdrawn from the world for the purpose of attending better to it.” (Modern Painters).