Statement of Intent.

In this day and age where virtually everyone is connected to the internet and we can contact others or leave messages on social media for others to see the perception can be that loneliness should be something of the past. But because we are so connected with everyone there can be the impression of a lack of personal and emotional space, that demands on our time and emotional or mental resources can lead to being overstretched, worn out and exhausted.

Today there is a growing need for emotional and mental space within our society. We live on an overcrowded island where personal space becomes a resource that has to be actively pursued instead of being instantly accessible. Consequently, people are searching for places where they can access physical space to help produce a conducive state of mind for emotional and mental space. It can be seen as a search for solitude.

There is a world of difference between loneliness and being alone. Part of the emotion of loneliness is that something is missing, that there is a lack of something, but with solitude it feels that a need is being fulfilled and leads to a more conducive and healthy state of mind. People seek solitude in different ways, for example through meditation or on long walks, but the one element they all have in common is that a particular environment is sought.

For my own sense of solitude, the common thread has been nature, about seeking places that have a lack of influence of mankind. There has been times when it has been walking along the beach or hillsides where I have been able to access a sense of calm and reflection, to be able to have enough emotional and mental space for honest self appraisal.

Something that become clear is that to achieve a sense of solitude the environment has always been the catalyst, a way into that state of mind. Personally, my own search for solitude has led me to this particular place Little Stone Wood, which is a small ancient woodland that used to be used for coppicing. The attraction of the place is its remoteness and the presence of mankind seems to be at a minimum.

So, this project has become about exploring my own concept of solitude and how to express it. To do so I have taken 10 images of an ancient woodland with myself in the frame to emphasise the connection between the person and the environment. I have also produced a film to reflect on how I view the woods and how the state of mind is calmed and made peaceful by the environment. The photographs are printed at 20x24 size to produce that sense of immersion into the environment and to capture the sense of texture of the woodland. By having the photographs and the film together produces a better sense of immersion, that sound and vision both play a part and produce a more overall sense of completeness.