I'VE SEEN THE LIGHT AND BEEN SET FREE!

If you find yourself in a room so dark that you cannot see the boundaries of the space you inhabit, it is quite easy to be fooled into thinking that the space is in-fact one of vast proportions.
If that same room then becomes lit, but only ever so dimly and is revealed as the eye strains to make it out, to be a very small space, then it begins to feel cramped and unforgivably restrictive.
If you then light that space again with a large quantity of natural light it will begin to feel much larger and to express some of the infinite values of true darkness.
Strangely, natural light, like the darkness, reveals hidden qualities in a space that play with our means of perception, depth of field, even emotion. Light brings new qualities to even very small spaces, which enable them to become more connected with their surroundings and in turn more free of them, in fact freed by them!...
...but interestingly only natural light allows these qualities to take place!

Portland Island was a surprise to me. I drove onto it purely by accident, but once there found it to be a pretty sort of place with four lighthouses within 500m of each other and a very quiet nature to it.Tthe surprise came when I parked on a tiny entance to a dirt track and walked down to some cliffs I thought I had seen at the bottom. Here I found the most astoundingly beautiful views I could imagine, with scenes that conjoured up images of places such as Motopos in Zimbabwe, and the cliff top amphitheatres of Athens, Greece. This island is the home of Portland Stone, the well known building material famous since its wide spread use over the past two to three hundred years (although it was used locally for far longer). Here on these clifftops the remnants of quarrying and huge basic machinery designed to lower vast blocks of freshly squared stone onto ships waiting far below still remain, and the region's rugged nature is only complimented by man's hand shaping of its ancient rock faces.

Lullworth Cove: a continuation of the World Heritage Coast, this utterly beautiful inlet of the sea has at least three crystal clear, fresh water streams tumbling down over its smoothed pebbles to terminate in its gentle clear waves. Surrounding the water on all sides are an incredible array of cliffs with all of their strata clearly visible like the layers in a giant onion, seemingly scrunched up in ridges where their collosal movement was recorded centuries ago.

On Monday the 26th I left at 5.30am for Weymouth Dorset, where a large scale conservation project has recently been completed. Chesil Beach was my primary target and although spectacular when viewed from the right place I was astonished to find that its beauty contributed only a very small amount to the overall majesty of this untamed coastal region. Below are some images including panoramics from my visit, click on the image to go full screen (Strongly Advised!)

Taken on a walk round the lake of my local park in Crawley, this image goes a long way to remind me of the infinate quantity of inspiration ready to be drawn from the smallest aspect of such an untapped resource as creation really is (Creativley speaking)

Seasonal Variations

Isnt it amazing the way new seasons reveal new qualities in a site, not even necessarily the same as the year before, but you look away for a moment and if you dont take that second look you miss the picture of itself that the site really wants to show you. the old 'dont judge a book by its cover', wait and see whats really inside those seemingly familiar pages, you might be surprised!

The unconveyable FLASH

In the spirit of continuing interest where all forms of expression via computer media are concerned, the last few days of this; my university focus week, have seen me attempting to learn animation free- trial-Flash-package style. While this has been fun it has certainly presented its own brand of challenge, something i was warned of by the laughter of my flash fluent freind, when i informed him of my intentions for the week. I have however been reasonably succesful and have graduated from an early stage animation of a bouncing ball to a photographic animation of my son playing with me. However attempting to attach it to this post on my blog, has been to run into a brick wall, but i have not given up trying and hopefully it should soon be viewable by all. WATCH THIS SPACE!

p.s
In the meantime here is a link to a website that sells examples of the kind of thing i am trying to achieve: www.bigshotmedia.com

Landscape.is... Vocabulary development

A list of landscape terminology...
...would appear to be relevant to an ever expanding interest in landscape expressionism.

Animated
Animation
Aspect
Brown field
Client
Clientele
Contemporary
Context
Density
Detailing
Development
Distinctive
Diversity
Elevations
Expanses
Features
Finish
Function
Geometry
Green field
Habitat
Infrastructure
Innovation
Landforms
Layers
Levels
Locality
Materials
Modern
Mounding
Orientation
Participants
Private
Project
Prospect
Public
Qualities
Reclamation
Regeneration
Relate
Scape
Scheme
Scope
Sections
Site specific
Space
Strategies
Style
Stylised
Surfacing
Surroundings
Survey
Sustainability
Technical
Technique
Texture
Topography
Transformation
Undulations
Upkeep
Users
Value

Landscape.is... Developments procession

Light breaks, dawn is fulfilled.
The utterance of thousands takes shrill second place,
their chorus receeding as light displays space...
Transient.
All space in a manner is thus understood,
displayed in mediums of ebony and gold.
The very same may in nature be seen in hue's of light'
or shown in satin cover, impenetrable night.
Shadows lift, highway hum transcends.
Self sufficient miriads seek meaning and place.
Simplicity watches aghast at complexity.
Lengthening again, dark fingers steal, reclaiming space...
Transient.
An effort is made, lights ignorance of dark to effect.
Submission attends, enrobed in colours minions all made black.
Time the old master whose keys unlock perceptions depth.
Space he dresses...
Transient.

Landscape.is... Development of perception

There are almost limitless numbers of ways for a subject to be viewed but if you want to learn something from it then often the best way is to look at it through the eyes of someone more experienced than yourself. Drawing is no different and it is often invaluable to the development of your drawing style to first study how great artists record similar subject material and attempt to emulate it in your own work. In so doing you will discover how well their methods work for you and begin to peice together your own. It is also often usefull to attempt to copy their work as this leads you by necessity to discover how they achieved the effects they have in their work and to develop your own variations of them.

Landscape.is... Development in Perspective

There are certain principals that need to be applied to the practicalities of illustrating larger subject material such as landscape. One of these is perspective, perspective allows a view to be interpreted literally, it allows the viewer of a perspective landscape drawing to view precisely what the artist saw as he was drawing and it was the dawning of a new era when it was invented as it changed the world of art from being two dimensional to three.

Landscape.is... Detailed development

Looking at a subject in great detail can be enlightening, as it aids you in understanding it's larger nature more thoroughly. Likewise drawing something in intricate detail allows skills of perception and interpretation to be developed, so that drawings of a larger nature can be informed by your understanding of the intricate detail of your subjects workings. Leonardo Da vinci was famed for precisely this, In fact he went to the lengths of dissecting corpses in order to better understand their anatomy and his illustrations of the human form clearly reflect his immense understanding of its movement.

Landscape.is... personal to development

Why are faces so hard to draw?! Maybe it's something to do with how we percieve things and what it is we focus on when looking at different types of new subjects. In the case of faces we are bound to carry some preconceptions on what a face should ideally look like. whatever the case I knew it wouldnt be easy as i've allways had difficulty with portraits and this one proved itself to be no different. This was one of four attempts to conquor different drawing subjects for a university focus week.

Landscape.is... vision

Open your eyes and you will see a world awaiting thee...
Isn't it incredible the way your vision changes over time? I don't mean the way your focus gets a little fuzzy round the edges with age. But rather as your interests, tastes, feelings and knowledge changes, so your eyes adapt and you get those odd moments where you remember how you saw things before in comparison with how you see them now... and there's a world of difference! This is exactly the way I have found myself contemplating the past year's learning curve, and how it is now continuing with my summer placement. The practice that I am working for is (as I am) very pro a hands on approach and this has enabled me to get to grips with a vast array of new knowledge and begin to view my world through landscaped eyes, in a working manner that I feel sure will help me in entering the new year at university.

Ben Morgan

Photograph: www.flickr.com (under forest)

Landscape.is... practice

Practice makes perfect?!! Well working in one is certainley a step in the right direction and happily I can now say that I have been gainfully employed in just such a position with a landscape institute registered company named "Lizard Landscape Designs" for the summer months. And it's in Worthing, right by the sea, GREAT !!!

Ben Morgan

Photograph: www.flickr.com (under lizard)

Landscape.is… Inspirational

What inspires us as people? What draws us onward to bigger and better things? What makes us want to push the limits? Well surprisingly I’m not going to say landscape, however, try asking yourself a different set of questions; why do we have to go some place to find ourselves? Why do we need space to think? Why have mankind’s greatest pursuits always been about finding the new frontier… the North Pole, America, the Moon, Mars? The answer is; it’s what we find there! One more question… what’s gonna be so special about your landscape that’s gonna make people wanna go there?

Ben Morgan

Photograph: www.flickr.com (under landscape)

Landscape.is… Personal

“The project is yours… Well what are you going to do with it? Well?”
This is your chance, a project is not just work, at least not unless you treat it as such. No, a project is your chance to make something that thrills you, an opportunity to express yourself, it’s your chance to be daring, so use it to your full advantage, surprise yourself and have some fun in the process. This is never truer than in first year at university when the tutors are doing everything they can to draw out your creativity. However, it is a good principal to remember throughout your career. How can you personalise this landscape? What little piece of you can you leave in it? Where can you write your signature?

Ben Morgan

Photograph: www.flickr.com (under Rural Studio/Samuel Mockbee memorial)

Landscape.is… Public/Private

Place can be experienced in many different ways but two of the most intense and meaningful ways are private and public: Do you want to be alone in your wilderness? Or do you want to share it? It’s ok to differ and most landscapes can accommodate both expressions, but a landscape can also be tailor made to be a social place or a private place, or both. Don’t allow yourself to be swayed by your current mood, again, try to be sensitive; what does the location lend itself too?

Ben Morgan


Photograph: The Poor Boys Enterprise
"Zustands Design "Installations expérimentales, 1991-2000

Landscape.is... Life

Think about it, in some respects a building is the negative of its landscape, the one is dead and consists of dead materials whilst the other is living and life giving. A landscape is truly alive, something to consider wouldn’t you say? In Landscape Architecture we have made it our job to reshape life, to change existence, to alter nature’s course. We can make thousands homeless, or we can give thousands homes, now that’s a responsibility, a responsibility to treat a life with care.

Ben Morgan

Photograph: www.flickr.com (under nature)

Landscape.is… Experiential

It’s like sniffing your Grandpa’s tobacco pouch, it’s like eating your favourite food after fasting, it’s like diving into cool water on a hot day and it’s like your first kiss with the one you love, its sensory overload. Landscape will have played host to a lot of these experiences but it is often the added experience of the landscape itself that made those times into memories. Was Grandpa’s pouch in the glove box of his old Morris Minor? Did you sit there sniffing it on cracked old leather seats? Did your first kiss happen after a long day of working for it, in the cool of the evening on the couch round her place? Sometimes all you have to do to create something special is to accommodate it, I wouldn’t expect to find myself experiencing any of those things whilst visiting some architectural wonder, I’d expect to be somewhere comfy somewhere that allows a special time to happen like its supposed to. Sometimes all you have to do to create something special is to accommodate it!

Ben Morgan

Photograph: www.ruralstudio.com