Sanctuary

This project came into fruition while I was cycling to university, I noticed a small drop off to the embankment on my right which runs parallel to the motorway only 30 metres or so away. I felt a bit strange, double glancing to see if anyone spotted me darting off into the woods, as it is a busy road but luckily barely any pedestrians walk past. Once I was in and had ducked down from the line of sight of the road, I felt alleviated and was just able to stop and inspect my surroundings, I decided to explore a little bit, but I felt as if I was being watched and left. I returned the next day with some more courage and slowly this built up as I explored this area over the course of a few months, returning about four times a week every week, charting the valley of woods with my camera, I started noticing changes in the landscape, different bird song, animal tracks on the ground, my old footprints, even the strewn old rubbish in the dark undergrowth. This area was turning into something special, and I had found a sanctuary from everyday life within this piece of woodland. I started to feel alone and grounded in a world where being alone is a privilege and without the stigma of being lonely, my thoughts could free flow in this environment of random complexity, which is hard for me to replicate in the confines of a space with walls.

 I started thinking about the random complexity of life. Slowly walking through the woods, looking up and seeing the sparkling and glistening sunlight flicker through the autumn leaves with their irregular pointed shapes, a slight gust of wind gently detaches them as they fall, in preparation of the change of the season, to lay silently on the ground in a mottle of reds, oranges, and yellows, with glimpses of the dark and rich root infested substrate on the woodland floor with peculiar fungi that have different caps on. Some are droopy, some are pointy, some are bell-shaped or cylindrical with varying colours of yellow, white, brown, purple and red. Treading on the leaves breaks the silence, and you notice the birds aware of your presence as they start singing nearby, in the treetops above, just out of sight, the liveliness of the woodland is invigorating and intense, while peaceful and also eerie.