Capel Mill Portraits series
Places are rarely just locations. They are often special for someone, with an individual meaning and presence. Searching for this 'genus loci' or ‘spirit of the place’ requires a decoding of the subjective meaning that places have for observers and passers-by alike. Indeed places only exist because of those who reflect on and pass through them. Capel Mill is a special site with a considerable past. So close to the town and traffic of Dr Newton's Way, yet offering tranquility and transition from urban to rural. This site will soon go through many stages before it is transformed by the proposed ecological interpretation centre and re-opened Canal. Sporadically, throughout the day, walkers pass through the site regulars and first time visitors alike. There are shoppers going to the Farmer's Market, ramblers, dog-owners being exercised; some people are there to work, or have a quiet drink while others have time and memories to share. Often discounted and ignored, places such as this are rare, but by using our senses we can recognise and value them, rather than taking them for granted. In this series, portraits were designed and made to be projected back into the void where they were taken, relocating the subject within the space they once occupied. To accompany these images subjects were asked to describe, in one word, their reaction to the site. This helped them to focus on their personal, subjective responses to 'place', using evocative and lyrical words such as "hidden", "surprise", "timeless" and "magic", as well as the more wordly "traffic-free" and "monumental". Giving voice to these reflections better enables us to value the importance of the present and engage more fully with its’ transformation.
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