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About
Heartwood is a photographic study into the landscape of Old Winchester Hill. Located in the South Downs National Park the hill extends to 150 acres of National Nature Reserve and is home to many species of rare plants and wildlife. The area has a rich and complex history expanding from the Iron Age to the present day and is preserved as a Site of Special Scientific Interest.
The history of the hill forms a number of winding pathways which are at first hard to follow. My approach has been to study the landscape from a variety of different perspectives and to build a strong personal connection with the land. This practice driven body of work has been informed by diverse strands of enquiry, from direct experience to scientific studies, each evoking the landscapes multifaceted character.
Using a range of cameras, I find ways through which the land may reveal its underlying stories and history. Through secret night vision cameras, I observe how animals inhabit the forests and how their levels of colour perception varies to our own. I also document the archaeological artefacts found upon the hill and research into the history of its human habitation. I have spent many months walking the land using a digital camera to document the experience of being there at all times of day and in all types of weather. Finally, I used a British 1940s MPP Micro Technical large format film camera in the most wounded part of the forest. During World War II the military used the hillsides as a site for testing mortars and in response to this, I have created a set of images looking at the hill as something that has stood witness to man's inhumanity to man.
This deeply personal journey has raised a number of important points for study and critique. I have become fascinated by the story of this landscape and the mysteries it withholds. Through a process of continually returning over a long period of time, I seek to find ways to commune with the land and in turn more effectively represent the history, ecology and character of Old Winchester Hill.
David Tipper, 2024.
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