Atlantus – A Transoceanic Journey

Atlantus is a project which began in 2014 in collaboration with Gareth Syvret at the Archisle. The work initiated by the 350th anniversary of Sir George Carteret naming the state New Jersey after his home in 1664. The aim of the project was to compare the cultural differences and similarities of the island and state on either side of the Atlantic Ocean. The project is to connect these two communities in five stories combining both photographs and text. It is a DIY exhibition of a multi-functional newspaper. The story I find the most interesting is the third, my favourite photographs are also in this section. I like the cow image because it is not a typical photograph of a Jersey cow; it is a great deal more interesting because it captures the cow differently. Furthermore I like the story of the cow travelling to the state of New Jersey and the research gone into the work in order to find the people that have been connected to the gift.

Toft used a combination of portraits, landscapes , still life and archival material. Firstly, Toft used archival material as a crucial part of the narrative, Syvret’s writing has been influenced by the historic photographs. The archive links the project back to the original story, it allows the modern photographs to contrast with the background of the narrative. The landscapes have been included in order to represent the geographical side of the narrative. It compares the two lands and looks at the relationship between the two. In terms of still life photography, Toft photographs the archival records of Sir George Carteret at St. Ouen’s manor library. The point of the images are to outline the context of the project. There are different styles of portraiture that have been used for example, tableaux photography of political leaders and candid photography.