2021 Weight of the World
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In 2019 I was awarded a three-month residency on the Isle of Skye, part of the inner Hebrides off the northwest coast of Scotland. There, I was constantly aware of the monumental presence of this wild landscape, the bleak and desolate beauty, and a sparse population at the mercy of the elements. On every horizon were mountains and ridges shaped by fire, ice, wind, water and time. A few short miles in any direction was a coastline strewn with extraordinary rock formations carved by sea and wind.
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Inspired by a long background in dance and theatre, I photographed myself immersed in this rugged, isolated terrain, undertaking a solitary performance that oscillated between awe, anxiety, melancholy and solace. This was like a private meditation, witnessed only by a camera lens activated by remote control. As I lay my face against the rocks, wedged my body into impossible spaces, and sought comfort and shelter from the hard stone surfaces, I imagined I was closer to that landscape than any other human has been before me.
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In Skye I felt vulnerable, humbled and insignificant in comparison to the vastness of my surroundings, yet also a deep and uneasy love for this challenging yet wildly beautiful place. By going outwards into the landscape, I was also going inwards to an internal 'landscape' and a state of deep introspection.
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