‘Legacies in Landscapes’ – A Farmer Portrait Series

What does it mean to be a farmer? To me, its essence is to live a life entirely interwoven with the soil, water and ecologies of a specific place, to be forever learning, and un-learning how to work in tender balance with those energies while feeding people nourishing food. Farming is an art. It is also an intensely rigorous science. It is a life full of challenge, trust, tragedy, joy and humility all at once. 

‘Legacies in Landscapes’, is a series of portraits dedicated to farmers who have given their lives to the land. Each farmer is studied through immersive interviews, photography and spending time together in their home. Materials are then gathered from their farm to create a portrait which reflects the story of their life. 

Some farmers have a legacy of incredible diversity: hedgerows bursting with life, intricate crop rotations, agroforestry, wildflowers, habitat restoration, wetland creation and abundant nutritious food – their portraits are fun to create, and enable an artwork of intense colour and depth. However some farmers are stuck in a system of intensity – with giant monocultures and over-grazed depleted grasslands. Their portraits are more difficult to make. 

I’m looking to collaborate with farmers who feel a strong relationship with the land they work. Please get in touch if you’d like to be involved.