Am I a Landscape Photographer? #3

Constructed Landscapes

There are quite a few aspects to ‘constructed landscapes’, but for me, in this instance, the constructed landscape refers to a landscape of some sort ‘that is made up only for artistic purposes’.

‘Generally speaking ‘staged photographs’ capture staged or artificially constructed scenes made only for the purpose of photography. While this type of image-making became well- known in the 1980s through the work of artists such as Cindy Sherman and Jeff Wall, staged compositions—which have alternatively been called “tableau photographs”—have been created since the beginnings of photography. For example, 19th-century photographers such as Oscar Gustav Rejlander and Henry Peach Robinson staged classical or biblical scenes with actors. Also, some of the major inspirations for 1980s staged photographic imagery were 1920s and '30s staged portraits created by Marcel Duchamp and Claude Cahun.
The term ‘staged landscape’ might refers to works that render views of urban or other type of landscapes as active elements in performative actions directed for the camera. ‘ (Eva Kalpadaki)

Although interesting, my first reaction to this type of photography was not one of total enthusiasm. I decided to produce my images quickly and at no cost in both monetary value and time. They are a bit raw to say the least.

So did I enjoy constructing my own landscape? - yes, most definitely. Would I do it again? Most definitely Yes. Once I got going, the ideas began flooding in, the possibilities are endless. The one aspect that resonated the most was mixing images in the form of a collage to create a new environment - this is something I want to look at further in the future. In the meantime here are my 30 minute landscapes using twigs, leeks and greaseproof paper.

Taking my cue from Michael Kenna, I reinterpreted one of his landscapes.