What relationship does an industrialised society have with nature and the natural world?

This body of work is an ongoing meditation on this question. It sets out to capture seemingly mundane and ubiquitous elements of industrialised societies, that nonetheless underpin them. They often go unseen or unnoticed – either out of choice, familiarity, or because they are hidden from our view.

I explore the tensions between these elements of industrialised societies, and the natural world that surrounds them, envelops them, fractures them, and which they are ultimately a part of – whether it is acknowledged or not.

How people within a society perceive nature – and the natural world – how they interact with it, and how they perceive the role of humans within it, is an integral aspect of any culture, and ultimately its sustainability.

I believe that each image offers an opportunity to meditate on these aspects of the prevailing culture within industrialised societies. But they also create space to delve deeper – to consider where nature begins and ends; where the line between nature and human culture exists within industrialised societies; and the ways in which these cultures can modify and blur those lines. It’s also an opportunity to reflect on the viability of a culture whose activities don’t simply disrupt natural processes necessary to sustain it, but also destabilise natural systems upon which all life depends.

The contemplative nature of this work is a reflection of the process I am using to document what I witness. Through the use of a medium-format film camera, I force myself to take my time, consider every shot, and contemplate the space and the interaction between the culture that has spawned from industrialised societies, and the natural world within which it exists – an interaction that invariably evolves over time. While contemplating how best to visually represent a particular scene, I write down the thoughts that form – some of which I have shared with you.

My motivation for creating this work is rooted in the knowledge that stories are the foundations of any culture – the stories we tell ourselves to help make sense of the world around us. Through these stories we attach value and significance to things, and these play a role in our understanding of what it means to be human. There is a cultural shift needed within industrialised societies to catalyse the systemic changes necessary to ensure they become more sustainable and egalitarian. 

We therefore need to tell different stories and nurture different narratives – ones that do not sustain an illusion of otherness, but instead acknowledge our true place within nature, and the interconnectedness and interdependence that exists between us and the rest of the natural world.

I hope for this project to be one of those stories. 

Thank you for taking the time to view my work.