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Random places
By: Clare Maynard
A few places in the landscape between the other projects. An ongoing series of photographs.
Clare Maynard
I work mainly in painting and photography, my projects are exhibited in the UK and Europe in public buildings or similar venues which have a cultural relation to the subject matter.
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'Railway view, mid Wales', 2013.
# 53 [14 May 2013]
A view from one of walks I do each evening.
Snowy hills in the distance. Railway forming the way through.
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'things on top of a fridge', digital photograph, 2013.
# 52 [5 May 2013]
the objects on top of this fridge haven't moved for years..but the scales are still used for breadmaking and weighing parcels.
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Clare Maynard, 'View from a town house', digital photography, 2013.
# 51 [7 April 2013]
snow...
way back in January in Mid Wales
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'The ravine', 2012. landscape near Granada, Spain
# 50 [7 January 2013]
I walked from Granada city to look at this ravine nearby, it was surprisingly close to the city, the road led out to a landscape of caves and valleys. It was a bright cold sunny day and there was an element of lightheartedness about the place with scattered wild rosemary bushes and the ochre of the rocks. But there was something else in that landscape which I experienced , a sense of prescence, a waiting, like a pause in the atmosphere and a deep sense of submerged power, it was strange. After stopping on a ledge to drink some coffee from a flask and take in the view I decided after looking further up the valley not to walk further, I felt a slight unease.
On returning from that landscape and after reflection I decided that it was often what Goya had been impelled to capture in his paintings and sketches of the landscape and culture of Spain, a spiritual darkness a possible awakening, an ominous presence depicted so well..
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Comments on this post
Thank you!
posted on 2013-01-18 by Clare Maynard
Hello Clare, Thank you for your comment on my blog - very much appreciated! Your experience of this landscape is intriguing and evocative - in both image and text. Wishing you a productive and enjoyable year! All the best!
posted on 2013-01-18 by Stuart Mayes
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Clare Maynard, 'Trees', Digital photograph, 2012.
# 49 [29 December 2012]
inspiration for paintings..
these remarkable trees near Granada, Spain
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'garden, Shrewsbury'.
# 48 [19 October 2012]
a rather neat civic garden in Shrewsbury
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'untitled'.
# 47 [19 September 2012]
the city at dusk..
I was thiking today about marmite and why it is called that..
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Comments on this post
thanks Jean, it's the sky on a berlin evening, eastern europe is very evocative with it's skies!
posted on 2012-09-21 by Clare Maynard
oh that blue! beautiful.
posted on 2012-09-21 by Jean McEwan
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'park benches'. does it matter where they are?
# 46 [12 September 2012]
I am intersted in others views on this, how important is it to say where each place is?
is it better to leave the viewer to guess, does it add anything to leave the place name blank or is it more interesting for the viewer to be able to place an image geographically..
does anyone remember that book 'boring postards'? it was photos of the artists travels past certain service stations and through various ring roads and motorway junctions..it is oddly intriguing as it is meant to be but he does name the places..
views are welcome on this , especially as I plan a book and hopefully an exhibition in the long term..
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Comments on this post
Hello Stuart thanks for your comment on this..it's helpful to hear another viewing artists viewpoint ..! I agree that the visual needs to be srtong for a depth of richness to reach the eye before the explanation of a title, this has often been my preference to experiencing art, it being a visual medium after all ..so I will think about this..
posted on 2013-01-18 by Clare Maynard
Hello Clare, in the last few years I have tried to resisted the draw of the title (label, press release and other texts) when initially going around an exhibition. I try first of all to engage with the image or object on its own terms, and then see which words the artist has chosen. Perhaps a text and exhibition title could suggest places or list them without directly attributing them to particular images and therefore leaving the reading a little more open - if that is your intention(!) (I hate finding myself thinking 'Oh I've been there' when I read a title - bu that is something personal!)
posted on 2013-01-18 by Stuart Mayes
Hello Clare, in the last few years I have tried to resisted the draw of the title (label, press release and other texts) when initially going around an exhibition. I try first of all to engage with the image or object on its own terms, and then see which words the artist has chosen. Perhaps a text and exhibition title could suggest places or list them without directly attributing them to particular images and therefore leaving the reading a little more open - if that is your intention(!) (I hate finding myself thinking 'Oh I've been there' when I read a title - bu that is something personal!)
posted on 2013-01-18 by Stuart Mayes
Hi Rob, Thanks for your constructive comment, yes it is tricky, I sometimes try the 'off centre' title approach but always seem to go back to the straightforward ones. I suppose the over all title 'random places' sums it up, but I agree, there needs to be something for the individual piece, or to put them into geographical groups for exhibition or publication may be a way forward, it takes some thought!
posted on 2012-10-22 by Clare Maynard
Hi Clare, my view is that the photos need a caption of some description. It may be a straight forward place description, but something more evocative, yet elusive would be better somehow. I line about why the photo was taken or a thought that occurred while there. Not easy to do, I have struggled with this kind of thing before. Titles are so important, they are the key which often unlocks the viewers door....as it were. This kind of thing reminds me of those classic lyrics from say Led Zep or something where if you take a line from the song and actually read the following line they dont really connect in a coherant linear sense, but they do connect in a sublininal way and seem to make sense in the context of the verse or song!......As with image and title?
posted on 2012-10-20 by Rob Turner
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'Random carrot', 2012. Courtesy: Tom Mills of Machynlleth.
# 45 [9 September 2012]
proof of life from the ground..
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'untitled', digital photograph.
# 44 [30 August 2012]
looks like one of those old postcards you buy for 5p in a junk shop..or 10p maybe..
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Comments on this post
Hi Jean, Interesting project, you may want to check out 'Lulu' aswell for self publishing. Your website is interesting, I too am a Herzog fan!
posted on 2012-10-04 by Clare Maynard
Hi Clare, thanks for your reply, interesting, I will check out Create Space. My book is going to be called 'make ugly beautiful' and will comprise of photographs people take containing those words. There's abit about the project on my website here http://jeanmcewan.com/curatorial/make-ugly-beautiful/ The book is going going to be part of the Bradford 'Ways of Looking' photography festival next year. Would like to see your photobooks when you get them done!
posted on 2012-09-30 by Jean McEwan
Hi Jean Thanks for commenting, I'll look out for that film, being a lover of film it hopefully comes through in the work, capturing the elusive moment before it is gone. I'm planning on using Amzaon Create Space for books, it's very accessible with regard to photography because you can upload a fairly large file when you get to do the interiror bit. I've started three books, it's fun, and good to be at the decision making end of things, what are your ideas for a book for the festival? sounds good.. clare
posted on 2012-09-21 by Clare Maynard
This image reminds me of the film 'Last Year in Marienbad'. Interested to hear about your photo book project, and will look forward to future posts on this. Are you self publishing or are you with a publisher? What format, size etc? I'm curating a photo book project for a photography festival next year, and so would be interested in sharing experiences!
posted on 2012-09-21 by Jean McEwan