The Sublime of the Southwest
ETHEREAL AND RAW, DISCOVER THE SOUTHWEST IN ALL ITS WILD CHARM IN THIS STUNNING PHOTO-SERIES.
Hengistbury Head. Image: Jamie Greaves
Sublime; ‘Both beauty and sublime are matters of the senses and aesthetics, but the sublime occupies the imagination to a greater extent. There are no such things as sublime objects, but when something triggers a feeling of fear, dread, or horror (for example, encountering a mountain, a great canyon, or something equally perilous), then you are in the presence of the sublime.’ – Edmund Burke.
The Southwest landscape has been a source of inspiration for many creatives throughout history. From the barren moorlands to the rugged coast, many have fallen victim to its charms and wild beauty. To stand atop the cliffs as the sea roars beneath you and the wind howls in your ears is to experience the coast at it’s most volatile. It serves as a reminder that nature is to be revered and, at times, feared. This is to experience the sublime.
Jamie Greaves is a freelance photographer who has just finished his third year of Marine and Natural History Photography at Falmouth University, Cornwall. He grew up along the coast of Dorset; immersed in the natural world. His fascination for nature led him to producing photography focusing on the local landscape.
Greaves’ most recent project, The Sublime of the Southwest, is a photographic journey that explores the five counties of the Southwest – Dorset, Hampshire, Wiltshire, Devon and Cornwall. Each photograph featuring elements of the sublime.
Mullion. Image: Jamie Greaves
‘The sublime is an emotional response evoked from the viewing of nature.’ Greaves states, ‘Originally theorised within the 18th and 19th centuries the Sublime was popular to display within art, including landscape paintings. Famous British painter J.M.W. Turner especially focused upon conveying it through abstract landscapes displaying violent sea's and chaotic storms.’
Greaves’ based the foundations of his project on Turner’s tour of the Southwest in 1811, where he travelled across the counties, sketching iconic landmarks and scenes. It was in this time that his painting style took a drastic change.
‘He began to manipulative the land and sea within his paintings, making his visions very ambiguous. By using the technique of ICM (Intentional Camera Movement) I gave my photographs painterly aesthetics, in a similar fashion to Turner's historical landscape paintings.’
St Agnes. Image: Jamie Greaves.
The photographs have a raw ethereal, beauty to them – the sky melting into the land and sea, merging in hues of blue, green, brown, and gold. The depictions of the man-made sculptures hold a surreal quality to them – they act as reminders of our history, standing as solitary ghosts along the coasts and in the fields. Yet, they do not look out of place in Greaves’ images, they look as part of the landscape as the rocks and flowers, as if nature has reclaimed them for its own.
‘Often venturing out during stormy weather I was able to record nature's spontaneity in my photographs, each telling a specific story showcasing the sublime.’ Greaves continues, ‘The Romanticism movement from the 18th and 19th centuries acknowledged the sublime as its ideology promoted the purity of natural environments, untouched by humanity and industrialism (both greatly affected the naturality of Britain's landscapes, especially during the Industrial Revolution over these time periods). Nature was rightly feared and celebrated for its dominating grip over humans, never to be conquered. These beliefs were clearly supported and illustrated in the romantic paintings of Turner.’
Greaves’ photographs capture the serene yet chaotic essence of nature; the wild energy feels very much alive within his images. Looking at them, you cannot help but be immersed into the landscape and feel the wind rushing around you.
West Kington. Image: Jamie Greaves
For his final work at university, he complied the images into a pictorial book which is targeted towards those with an appreciation for the natural world and who have an interest in exploring the theory and contexts of Romantic paintings.
‘The photography aims to influence people to re-connect with nature and organic environments, ultimately withdrawing from modern interferences to experience the benefits of nature connectedness.
Nature throughout time has evidently had the ability to rustle emotions within all of us, expressing a deeper connection between humanity and itself. Particularly rejoiced by Romantic artists during the 18th and 19th centuries who understood the importance of feeling and emotion when witnessing natural scenes. It is perhaps crucial in acknowledging and appreciating the values of nature upon our own existences as it impacts us all subliminally.’
Greaves’ photography invites us to explore and interpret our own relationship with nature, and the feelings it evokes within us. His photographs serve to remind us of nature’s majesty, and its terrible beauty.
St Agnes. Image: Jamie Greaves.