CHAMBER
(2011)
Chamber is a series of five large-scale colour works, photographed with an 8x10 plate camera. The images delves into the intricate details of the land exposed during the construction and expansion of a settlement in the West Bank, capturing the precise moment when the earth is forcefully opened, resulting in a raw self expression of the ground.
The title, suggests an enclosed space, yet these photographs are taken in the vastness of the natural environment, outdoors under the soft caress of natural light—situating them firmly within the realm of field or outdoor photography. These images were made moments after what was once a mountain was disrupted, highlighting the materiality of the earth and the bleeding strata of the mountains, revealed in the instant when the inside becomes outside, and the fractured landscape is laid bare.
In Land Study No. 04, the lines etched into the ground by machinery inadvertently form patterns that echo the artistic expressions of prehistoric times, evoking a return to minimalistic forms of expression. The composition of these works is carefully crafted to envelop the viewer, immersing them in the detailed textures and rawness of the exposed land.
The work also serve as a portrayal of how the act of expansion is materialised - a visual representation of what this process of expansion looks like. The works contemplate on the implications of human political interventions with nature, reflecting on the relationship between human intervention in the land, history and politics.