Passio 4

Finally

I’ve written about how the painting of different eras and nations have had such an important bearing on my work but I should also acknowledge the impact of other photographers, in particular those landscape photographers whose work transcends pretty scenery and gives me not only that shiver of delight, joy and confidence in the power and beauty of wide open spaces, as well as the intimate corners of our beautiful planet, but also forces me to think deeply about our actions and intentions towards what we call natural environments. The English photographers Fay Godwin, John Blakemore and Paul Hill, the Americans Robert Adams, Edward Burtynsky, Richard Misrach and Ron Jude. There are so many more.

I came to Paul Nash’s work by chance many years ago but more recently and significantly through the work of Derek Jarman and the ongoing projects of Daniel and Clara whose work continues to inspire in its inventiveness and generosity mainly because so much of what they do is fundamentally lens-based. I found out after I began my own forays into digital painting that they’ve been using acrylics directly on to large prints  which I’d love to try sometime. They’ve also been working recently with ideas around angels which is oddly coincidental.

Throw in a mass of reading and there you have it.