Write a Statement of Intent that clearly contextualise –
- What you want to explore?
- Why it matters to you?
- How you wish to develop your project?
- When and where you intend to begin your study?
Make sure you describe your how you interpret the theme of ‘islandness’, subject-matter, topic or issue you wish to explore, artists references/ inspirations and final outcome – photobook or film.
You may wish to consider –
- What makes Jersey special to you?
- What are the distinct qualities of island life?
- A sense of place and identity
- Explore the notion of the ‘Jersey way’ or ‘Jersey-ness’.
My ideas which answer the bullet points –
In my personal study, I wish to explore the weather and woodland areas when I take my dog on a walk. This is because it the way whether can effect the outcomes of photos is fascinating and the way nature can appear is always changing in beautiful and unique ways. This matters to me because it shows how Jersey can be seen in different ways for its woodland areas instead of the coasts which many people know more about. I will explore this theme further by looking into the variety of textures in leaves, trees, fungi, etc which I find while exploring different locations across Jersey. The ways in which I will develop this project are through studying different photographers such as Vanessa Winship, who is a photographer that focuses on landscapes and the weather, as well as Martin Parr, who is a photographer that focussed on weather and different landscapes within his work. Where I will begin my study is in woodland areas during wet and dry conditions, as many places such as in valleys or walks have distinct paths which you can follow around which lead to different locations of areas which many people may not have been to before.
What makes Jersey special to me is how there is a sense of community because we are a small island and everything is within close distance such as favourite places to go or with visiting family. The distinct qualities of Jersey Island life are the easiness of travelling, being able to access the beach as it is all around us, the different parishes etc. The sense of place and identity means having somewhere that feels like home to you and where you are from is where you may identify with originally, and is created in Jersey through the fayres which can take place to celebrate different events, various celebrations that happen throughout the seasons, the decorations in town and other peoples houses for different times of year, etc. The definition of ‘Jersey-ness’ in my opinion means being able to navigate yourself around the island without having to use a map as guidance as you have grown up here and loving how there is a real sense of community due to Jersey being a small island which is evident within town and the various parishes.
