Mourant is a Jersey born artist, educator, curator and writer based in London. His practice and research centres on photography, writing, performance and sculpture, with a particular interest in the legacies of agriculture, Land Art and Arte Povera.
For the exhibition, Mourant had created a new sculpture, “An Image That Holds Its Heat”. The artwork abstracts an original photograph depicting the effects of the weather upon a tomato crop (September, 1963).
That Holds Its Heat 1, 2 and 3, 2023
The structures, taking the form of barn cloches used for growing vegetables, reference the history of photography in the 19th century when collodion photographs were made on glass negatives. Built on some of the most fertile land in Norway.
Definition – The dramatic changes in correspondence with humans and the environment.
How and why are photographers exploring this concept?
Some photographers that explore this concept of the world and human impact use photography as a source of spreading awareness about these environmental changes.
Mood Board
Photoshoot Inspiration
The main focus of my Anthropocene photoshoot is air pollution, planes and clouds. My photoshoot and ideas are inspired by various photographers associated with the study of clouds, but my main inspiration is Alfred Stieglitz. His work stands out to me the most because of the high contrast between the clouds and skies in his photographs as seen below:
Stieglitz had started this project in 1922 and had named it Equivalents.
I have always been very interested in the study of clouds because of the unique shapes, patterns, tones and layers of the clouds. To stay within the theme of Anthropocene, I plan to also capture contrails created by planes. I like the contrast with the linear lines that planes create against the soft, amorphous shapes the clouds are in.
I plan to show how dangerous plane contrails can be towards our Earth’s atmosphere by using the contrast of sharp contrails and soft clouds. I also want to show the contrails spreading out and losing shape to show the process of them absorbing and trapping energy and radiation into the Earth’s atmosphere.
Information About Contrailsand Clouds
Contrails, also known as condensation or vapour trails, are long linear clouds created by aircraft engine exhausts or changes in air pressure. They are made of water vapour and low ambient temperatures that often exist at high altitudes.
A simplified diagram of how contrails are produced
Contrails contribute to climate change by absorbing and trapping solar radiation from the sun within the Earth’s atmosphere. They can allow a various amounts of solar radiation to penetrate to the Earth’s surface which causes the planet to warm up.
It is said that there are three types of contrails, short-lived, persistent non-spreading, and persistent spreading.
It has been documented by researchers that by reducing altitude when flying showed a 54% decrease in contrails being produced. By also using highly efficient engines planes can reduce contrail production from the engines.
Another alternative to reducing contrails is by using electric planes. This is because they are powered by fuel-cell-powered electric engines meaning nothing is being combusted because there is no exhaust besides water vapour. This means no solid matter is being produced for the contrails to attach to.
There are more than a hundred different variants of clouds which can be grouped into ten basic types, which are;
Multi-Level Cloud – Floats in numerous altitudes
Cumulonimbus
High-Level Clouds – Float at altitudes of around 16,500 and 45,000 feet
Cirrus
Cirrocumulus
Cirrostratus
Mid-Level Clouds – Float at altitudes of between 6,500 and 20,000 ft
Altocumulus
Nimbostratus
Altostratus
Low-Level Clouds – Float at altitudes of less than 6,500 ft
Cumulus
Stratus
Stratocumulus
Planes can be seen flying at about 31,000 to 42,000 ft in the air, however smaller aircrafts often fly below 15,000 ft. Planes of start forming contrails at around 20,000 ft, this is because the air surrounding the aircraft is well below freezing so it cools down the water vapour coming out of the back of the engines.
Some planes may seem like they are flying at around the same height but one is producing contrails and the other is not, this is because even a 1,000 ft difference can affect whether a plane produces them or not because of the drastic change in the atmosphere surrounding them.
For this photoshoot, I took inspiration from Bernd and Hilla Becher’s work, as well as Robert Adams, I tried to interpret the ways that they format their images. My focus for this theme was light and sewage pollution, I wanted to convey this message by taking photographs of manhole covers and street lamps as I believe people don’t acknowledge the impact that these simple everyday objects can have on climate change.
I also wanted to explore the theme of industrialisation as it links quite well with the theme of New Topographics. I believe this is because of the massive impact this has on our planet and ecosystems.
Born in New Jersey in 1937 and raised in the suburbs of Denver, Colorado, Robert Adams is an American photographer who documents the changing landscape of the American West. He says that his work is an attempt to “reconcile” his disappointment with the destructive behaviour of people towards nature through his love and respect for the unique landscape of the American West.
He photographed places such as Denver, Portland, Seattle, and Salt Lake City that had caused damage to their environments through suburbanization.
His black and white style of work was first recognised in the mid-1970s through his book The New West. He was also recognised for his participation in the exhibition New Topographics: Photographs of a Man-Altered Landscape in 1975.
His work shows a large variety of tonal range and textures, even with a long depth of field he still manages to capture the details. His images showcase an intimidating presence through the detailed and darkened sky, as well as the intense dark shadows and prominent textures.
Examples of his work and style:
Image Analysis
Ranch Northeast of Keota, Colorado, 1969
This photograph has captured a quiet rural landscape featuring a ranch in Keota, Colorado in the background. The image conveys a sense of quiet and solitude which reflects the impact of human presence on the environment.
Adams has used natural lighting to emphasize the details and textures of the landscape. He uses a straightforward composition which focuses on the vast expanse of the rural setting with minimal distraction or elements.
This piece of work is a part of Adams’ project that explores the changing American landscape and the effects of human activity on nature.
The term ‘New Topographics’ was first invented by William Jenkins in 1975 to describe a group of American photographers who made pictures that had similar banal aesthetics. Their images where mostly black and white prints of urban landscapes.
New Topographics was inspired by Albert Renger Patszch and the concept of The New Objectivity. It was a reaction to the increase of urban environments and industrialisation. Many who were associated with this type of photography were inspired by man-made subjects such as parking lots, suburban housing and warehouses.
An exhibition at the International Museum of Photography in Rochester, New York featured photographers, such as Bernd and Hilla Becher, who showed the growing unease about how the natural landscape was being taken away by suburbanisation.
(Suburbanisation – A population shift from historic core cities or rural areas into suburbs, resulting in the formation of urban sprawl)
Here are some examples of photographer’s work that focused on New Topographics:
Aufbereitungsanlagen 2008 by Bernd and Hilla BecherMobile Homes, Jefferson County, Colorado 1973 by Robert AdamsRoute 66 Motels by John SchottGrain Elevator and Lightning Flash, Lamesa, Texas 1975 by Frank Gohlke
I plan to edit my photos in a way to show my inspiration from Robert and Ansel Adams. I will turn my images black and white and edit them further to show a more varied range of tones and shadows to create more depth and a dramatic affect.
Best Image Edits
Colour
Black and White
When editing these images I wanted to show my interest and inspiration from Ansel Adams and Robert Adams’ own style of editing. I aimed to have a high variety of tones and a lot of contrast within my images.
Overall Best Image& Analysis
I believe this is my best image out of my entire photoshoot. I really like the variety of tones and the general composition of the photo. The positioning of the camera gives the building intimidating industrial look, It leads the eye from the fence to the dark tower and sky. The textured surfaces on the building contrasts with the soft cloudy background combined with the natural lighting.
Overall I think this image shows my inspiration from the photographers I have researched the best because I’ve used a large tonal range and heavy contrast. I have also been able to captured plenty of textures and a variety of shapes in the buildings and clouds and kept a well balanced exposure.
I have made my images black and white using a pre-setting.
I then enhanced and decreased the intensity of the colours in the photographs to show a broader range of tone and contrast similar to how Adams had done.
I have also used the black and white drop box to also create this affect.
I had decided to take a photoshoot of my old neighbourhood and surrounding areas that have been affected during the storm. I tried to focus on both urban and semi rural places to show all the damage the storm had created.
