The Strandline is a personal exploration of my sense of self and emotional connection with the sea. It examines the mark left by the sea on the human condition and personal identity. Connection to the sea has been part of my identity from a young age - large family gatherings on the Northumberland coast where my mam and her sisters used to holiday with my grandparents who in turn had holidayed there themselves as children were a regular feature of my childhood. The British coastline is stamped on my sense of self and my association with the call of the wild. Questioning perceptions, memories, associations and experiences of the sea, The Strandline explores the thresholds and liminal states of littoral space along and between land and water, sea and sky, memory and experience. Drawing on the cultural, nostalgic and experiential connections with the sea and how these impact our sensory and cognitive responses, the project examines how memories shift and fade, transfer and - sometimes falsely - embed associations in our psyche.
The project adopts a multi-media approach and introspective reflection encompassing soundscapes, video and still imagery, incorporating self-portraiture, ‘portraiture’ of the sea, and conceptual, abstract and immersive imagery. I use a variety of techniques, from analogue formats to digital and cameraless strategies. I am interested in the mark the sea leaves on me metaphorically and in the impact the sea - and I - leave on my images physically.