Whispers from an Ancient World
My MA Final Project is finished! Whispers of the Ancient World, has only just begun…
Whispers from an Ancient World, by Sullaman. © T. S. Clark (2023)
As I develop my technique, I plan to find more spectacular ancient trees, and experiment with photographing them in new ways. This is my attempt at the EcoGothic, embracing the sublime, to suggest that they have character and something greater to them than being ‘just’ a tree, and demand a sense of awe when in their company. Each is an individual, and I have a story tell about each one too. Unfortunately all I know is a mere fragment of their existence, and it is unfathomable to me to fully know what their experience of the world must be like. I will tell the story of my experience with each of them individually, over the coming weeks, and bring in new ones to the fold. The MA Photography course has been hugely instrumental in helping me find this direction, and elevate my work. I cannot thank or recommend them enough!
For now, this is where the university part of this project ends, but this only marks the beginning of where it will go. The prints are ready, and the exhibition is next to prepare for. Much more will be added to this site soon, including high quality limited edition prints, and new social media channels.
Watch this space!
What is intelligence?
Ways of Being: Beyond Human Intelligence, by James Bridle (2022, Farrar, Straus & Giroux), and Planta Sapiens: Unmasking Plant Intelligence, by Paco Calvo and Natalie Lawrence (2022, The Bridge Street Press)
As the poet and visionary William Blake wrote:
‘The tree which moves some to tears of joy is in the eyes of others only a green thing that stands in the way.
Some see nature all ridicule and deformity… and some scarce see nature at all.
But to the eyes of the man of imagination, nature is imagination itself.’
James Bridle (p. 16; 2022, Farrar, Straus & Giroux)
In the last bit of research I did for my final project, an exciting new way of looking at intelligence is proposed by James Bridle in his book, Ways of Being. He explains that much of the science of studying intelligence in non-human beings, has until recently been flawed by human-centric bias. By measuring other animals abilities to solve puzzles, scientists have wrongly measured intelligence according to human perceptions of how it should be defined. Instead, recent science is revealing that the ‘more-than-human’ have experiences of their own, unlike ours, and that for them, intelligence could mean something different that we can’t fully grasp, a wholly subjective experience of the world.
“To think against human exceptionalism requires us to think outside and beyond it, and to recognise in Blake’s vision the deep truth of his words: nature is imagination itself. In this truth is encapsulated the philosophy behind the phrase I used earlier: the more-than-human world.”
James Bridle (p. 17; 2022, Farrar, Straus & Giroux)
In Planta Sapiens, a book I have recently started, Paco Calvo reveals through studying plants, that he is able to demonstrate to the public that plants respond to anaesthesia and go to sleep, just like an animal or human would. He then posits the question, does that mean they are normally awake? He suggests that each plant has an individual experience of the world, as they can move to follow the sun, and even predict its position the following morning. Does this mean they are aware? If this is true of the smaller plants he studies, I wonder what it might mean for giant ancient trees. After all, in Suzanne Simard’s work I studied last year, the ground-breaking scientist who revealed that trees can communicate via underground mycorrhizal networks, if her science has only recently come to the fore, what else might we discover?
“We are so entrenched in the dogma of neuronal intelligence, brain-centric consciousness, that we find it difficult to imagine alternative kinds of internal experience.”
Paco Calvo, (p. 3; 2022, Bridge Street Press)
Rewilding my creativity
If you get stuck, sit by something moving in nature, like a stream of water, and you will get moving again, and many more nuggets of wisdom!
An 8 week online course, Rewilding Mythology, hosted by Sophie Strand, by Advaya.
“What would the world be, once bereft
Of wet and of wildness? Let them be left,
O let them be left, wildness and wet;
Long live the weeds and the wilderness yet.”
I joined and attended this hugely inspiring, richly rewarding and creatively uplifting course that started by throwing participants in at the deep end of intellectual thought. The speakers said so much in each sentence, it was hard to follow at first. As I got used to the language and into the flow of thought, it began to stir the imagination, and frame many of my interests in ecologically connected ways. This course was about the now, how we got here and where we are headed, but ultimately motivating us to work out what to do about it.
“When you’re in the woods, follow the sound. See where it leads you. Hold up your hands, cup your ear, listen.”
- Josh Schrei, Week 2.
Politically radical, topics such as the science fiction of Ursula Le Guin, and other lesser known writers, merged with how we, as creatives, can approach our surroundings in new and ancient ways, and listen to what nature wants us to create. It was an interconnected, holistic and alternative whirlwind of where science meets spirituality, and where humans connect to the natural around and inside.
The speakers were artists of different disciplines, spoken, visual and musical, intellectuals, scientists and thinkers, mythologists and storytellers, talking about their own experiences of doing things differently in their own fields, giving plenty of ideas to participants and involving them in discussions with questions at the end of each session. Sophie Strand, the host and writer, eloquently and intelligently steered the talks in thought-provoking ways.
Langdon Hill and Golden Cap
A walk around a wooded hill to get to the highest point on the South Coast, for some spectacular sunset views!
While visiting relatives on the South Coast in Dorset, I took the opportunity to walk around the wooded Langdon Hill, up to the highest point along the Jurassic Coast, Golden Cap. I hoped to get more images that could be used as scenes or assets for my project, as well as having good stretch of the legs rewarded with magnificent views. It wasn’t too busy, and I spotted and heard wild creatures around me, including a kestrel hovering to find its last meal of the day. © T. S. Clark (2023)
A walk around Stourhead
A refreshing visit to the area surrounding Stourhead, where I found myself among beautiful nature.
After a difficult period of poor health, I managed to get out to walk on the hills around Stourhead, where I continued to search for usable assets, discover some history, and enjoy the wonderfully therapeutic experience of being in a beautiful green space. © T. S. Clark (2023)