Landscape as Political Text
This assignment explores the impact of sustainable energy on the North Cornwall countryside. I have captured these shots in the same week that the G7 are meeting, in Cornwall, with sustainability high on their agenda and so the timing and location seemed very appropriate. We think of sustainability as a way of protecting our lands, but what about the impact to land and place from the machinery that delivers this sustainable future?
There are mixed reactions to wind farms, with some believing that they are a blot on the landscape, others who do not want them in their own backyard, and others who see them as a modern day sight to behold.
Building on my research into mills in the Stroud district, and my first two assignments which look at the relationship between man, industry and the land, I have become interested in the idea that today’s modern industrial artefacts become tomorrow’s sites of historical interest. Whatever we think of that industry now may well be very different in the future. In Cornwall for example, a place dotted with derelict tin mines, these have now become tourist attractions, many managed by the National Trust as sign of their significance.
Will wind farms follow the same route? Already they are into their second generation which dwarf the original style and leaves those originals looking like lost sentinels surveying the countryside as they slowly rust away; some of these are shown in my image collection.
The images I have captured aim to show the juxtaposition of the wind farms with the Cornish countryside – to show that they are just part of the landscape now. In some cases the images show broad views looking across the flat landscape that is the reason the wind farms are located there in the first place, other images show the installations in and amongst everyday life in Cornwall, just another feature of the land.
I have chosen to show my images in Black and White to position them into the realm of historical images. Images from the past are usually black and white and I wanted to draw an analogy with that as I explore the idea that these images will themselves be historic at some point in the future. I accept today’s era of images viewed in 100 years time may well be colour but that is not the situation at present.
I found editing quite difficult. The images are a mix of modern turbines which are huge and imposing and those of the original generation which are smaller and now stand desolate and unused. Something about these older generations’ shape makes me feel like they are forgotten heroes still watching over us and I found it difficult to combine the two types into a single set. I think I have achieved what I set out to show.
Chosen Images
Fig. 1. Otterham, Cornwall (2021) 
Fig. 2. Eastcott, Cornwall (2021) 
Fig. 3. St. Clether, Cornwall (2021) 
Fig. 4. Otterham, Cornwall 
Fig. 5. St. Teath, Cornwall (2021) 
Fig. 6. Slaughter Bridge, Cornwall (2021) 
Fig. 7. Lesnewth, Cornwall (2021) 
Fig. 8. Marshgate, Cornwall (2021) 
Fig. 9. Badgall, Cornwall (2021) 
Fig. 10. Treskinnick Cross, Cornwall (2021) 
Fig. 11. Hendraburnick, Cornwall (2021) 
Fig. 12. Cold Northcott, Cornwall (2021)
Contact Sheets
The contact sheets below show the images that made my medium list and therefore that I did an initial black and white conversion and some minor adjustments to so that they could be compared in the editing process.
