‘Earthworks’ creates a photographic study of the Northumbrian allotment; repurposing the energy used by its owners and the rituals that take place
in cultivating soil for future use, the ‘earthworks’. It concerns local committees in Northumberland, conversation, social
positivity and the importance of green spaces.
The act of taking the image is a constant pilgrimage of returning home, combined with the use of ‘slow’ photography where one can be with
the land. The image-taking has many purposes; ritual, pilgrimage, meditation and purely walking and talking with family members and members of the community linking to such land. Some of these images are photographic prints, taken on a large format 5x4 camera, whilst others are photopolymer gravure prints, a form of intaglio printmaking. The land that the artist works with is often at risk or undergoing change – in this scenario, she worked with two allotments – Amble West, and Tommy’s Field in Morpeth. During this project, she interviewed plot-holders, took video footage and created collections of documentation relating to the land – council documents, news articles, Northumbrian poetry, with the aim of returning to the work with a book format.