So, what's a deconstructed landscape, then?
That's what I thought, too. The best way I can think of of how to describe it would be as a collage of photos that together make something that is greater than the sum of it's parts. This definition leaves a fair amount of wiggle room, however; it could mean a storyboard type of affair that slowly evolves as you look at different parts of it; it could mean a more polyptych effect or it could mean anything in between.
The reason I've become interested in deconstructed landscapes is two fold. Firstly, it is linked to my new liking of animal close ups - it forces you to look at familiar objects in a new way. I find myself looking for details and subtleties that I would normally miss in composing a wider shot. And secondly, it allows you to make more of an otherwise uninspiring situation. The photos below were all taken in Russell Square, about five minutes from where I work in the centre of London. Now, whilst it is a very pretty square of which I am very fond, it doesn't exactly lend itself to sweeping panoramas or wide open landscapes; if I deconstruct it, though, I can make it up into pretty much anywhere. By concentrating on the finer details and removing the wider context I can turn the photos into a blank canvas. The viewer can look at a chink of sky, a piece of bark or a fallen leaf and be transported to a location of their choice. Sure, it'll probably have to be wooded, but it could be the end of their childhood garden, a favourite dog walking spot, a secluded romantic hideaway from that amazing holiday or anywhere else that they can think of. Imagination is the only limit.
That's what I thought, too. The best way I can think of of how to describe it would be as a collage of photos that together make something that is greater than the sum of it's parts. This definition leaves a fair amount of wiggle room, however; it could mean a storyboard type of affair that slowly evolves as you look at different parts of it; it could mean a more polyptych effect or it could mean anything in between.
The reason I've become interested in deconstructed landscapes is two fold. Firstly, it is linked to my new liking of animal close ups - it forces you to look at familiar objects in a new way. I find myself looking for details and subtleties that I would normally miss in composing a wider shot. And secondly, it allows you to make more of an otherwise uninspiring situation. The photos below were all taken in Russell Square, about five minutes from where I work in the centre of London. Now, whilst it is a very pretty square of which I am very fond, it doesn't exactly lend itself to sweeping panoramas or wide open landscapes; if I deconstruct it, though, I can make it up into pretty much anywhere. By concentrating on the finer details and removing the wider context I can turn the photos into a blank canvas. The viewer can look at a chink of sky, a piece of bark or a fallen leaf and be transported to a location of their choice. Sure, it'll probably have to be wooded, but it could be the end of their childhood garden, a favourite dog walking spot, a secluded romantic hideaway from that amazing holiday or anywhere else that they can think of. Imagination is the only limit.
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