Forests of the Mind series: a darker side (or ways to re-wild critical perceptions)

I started the Forests of the mind series back in 2021, following an abstinence of sculptural making. It has been liberating to have a post-studio practice, but the image/object relationship still haunts every click & layer. The series is about wonderings and wandering, a post-studio practice that confuses seeing with experience and the visual uncertainty that derives from this process of making. I am not interested in clarity, focus or detail, but the glance—of something that might have been which fails to resolve on closer inspection.

My work has never resolved the dual concerns of being either print or object-based, and although each deals with many similarities, there are many more conflicts of interest. Using resources and consuming energy to make sculpture is no longer a viable option - lead, gas, chemistry and filling space have become constant reminders of my carbon footprint despite the critical purpose of the work.

If the work is not performing an externalised critical role, then it’s adding to the problem. Equally, the use of data, server space (although more difficult to calculate) draws recent work into question. Is the 'aesthetic regime', or an exclusive lack of utility becoming deeply problematical in an environmental crisis, or profoundly important to balance and tackle such anxieties?

robm (February 2023)

Original images made & edited on location using an iPhone 12/13 ProMax, with moment/urth lenses. Selection available as Giclée prints on Hahnemühle Photo Rag Smooth Fine Art paper.