State of Flux: exploring the relationship between self and place along the East Lothian coastline.

I have long been, and continue to be, fascinated by the coastal environment. Here the senses are completely engaged and immersed, and the environment in a constant state of flux. Horizons shift with rising waves, wind travels across land and water, the sea both deposits and takes away. Trying to capture this experience visually is a unique experience - the elements shift so quickly that capturing a static image is not only impossible, but feels inadequate. In this series of mono prints, I instead sought to capture the feeling of rapidly shifting elements and the sense of immersion in the environment. Whilst some prints may allude to a horizon, none are static landscape images. Some marks refer to the sensation of a wind gust, others to the sound of a crashing wave, and others to a sense of the heaviness of the rocks on the shore. These sensations I captured in drawings, notes and poetry.

The prints were worked on quickly - both due to necessity (to avoid the ink drying out) and a wish to capture the spontaneity of the landscape. The process of mono-printing itself was hugely rewarding - marks can never be planned and are as much a surprise for me, when I lift the paper from the plate to reveal the image. This process in itself captures the sense of unpredictability and immersion I experienced at the coast.