© Christine Simpson | Undercurrents
Earth Matters, more than ever
Christine Simpson
Simpson makes composite landscapes that show the fragility of our living planet
In Split Nature, English photographer Christine Simpson exposes the lack of connection between man and nature and her recent work Earth Matters expresses her reverence for our natural world. "Triggered by the difference between the city and the beauty of the Irish landscape, I began to think about the vulnerability of nature. I feel connected to the Earth and I am very aware that we, as human beings, are dependent on nature for our survival. I want to show the need to protect, celebrate, connect, and nurture the Earth."
Simpson's photographs explore imbalance in nature, by using surrealism and digital manipulation to emphasize the juxtaposition of the natural and unnatural world. "A rope on which you balance and can fall at any moment: this is how I see the planet at this moment. I see that nature is out of balance. My pictures are warning signals for the future of the planet. We have damaged it and need to take better care of the Earth. I believe that if we damage the Earth, we do damage ourselves. We are dependent on the Earth."
Simpson’s work is a story about the current geological age, the Anthropocene. She wants the viewer to recognize the beauty of the planet, but also to become aware of the ecosystem. "We can take the beauty of the Earth for granted, but almost everything is part of a complex kind of ecosystem that reproduces and renews itself. What happens if the ecosystem is disturbed by human activity? I want to make the viewer feel that it is still salvageable. I think we have to take the responsibility on our shoulders to try to do something to save the planet and our future generations."
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My composites reveal that which is needed to be revealed, imagined, or dreamed.
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Visual experience
The photographs show life underwater: plastic, wilted flowers, insects, broken eggs, bird nests, and skeletons of fish and dolphins. Above the water, you see dark clouds with flying birds. Everything in the images conveys a deeper meaning. "The insects and the bees are exterminated by the farmers. The birds have a rigorous migration pattern that is confused by the temperature differences." In Split Nature, the bright colours above water suggest beauty and idealism, while underwater you see dark and muddy colours. With the smudgy tones underwater, she illustrates the disturbance of the natural beauty of the ocean. "To attract the viewer, I use aesthetics, so that people look longer at my pictures. If you take a closer look at my photos, you will eventually see that something is not right. You see the water line that divides the underwater world and the human above-water world."
By splitting the waterline, she highlights the separation between the two worlds. Below the water surface, you see the consequences of human activity. And when we look superficially, we only detect what is above the water surface. "I remember walking on a spotless beach years ago. A while later, I walked on a beach on the west coast of Ireland and saw that it was all covered with plastic. When I saw that, I got very angry."
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Many layers
Christine Simpson creates her work with the help of Photoshop. Each photo is digitally manipulated and consists of fifty to sixty different shots taken outside and in her studio. Her surreal and digital manipulation emphasizes the juxtaposition of the natural and unnatural worlds. "I collect objects such as flowers, nests, eggs, feathers, and stones and photograph them all in my studio, using studio lamps." The photos are made up of skies, water, and natural objects, which she assembles in Photoshop using a masking technique.
The skies are photographed outdoors and consist of multiple layers with which she consciously creates dramatic cloudy skies. The water is created with multiple layers. “In my studio, I have a container of water where I photograph the waterline. Each photo takes me a long time before it is finished."
Simpson sees her digital composite as another representation of life, with its multi-faceted layers. "My composites reveal that which is in front of our eyes, that which is hidden, that which is needed to be revealed, imagined, or dreamed."
Spiritual approach
Christine Simpson has always been interested in nature photography with a spiritual approach. "I believe in karma. I try to be the best person I can be. I try to treat the Earth, the animals, and the people as well as possible. I meditate every week, which works very well for my photography. It clears my head. When you look at a leaf of a tree, it's just a leaf, but when you meditate and then photograph it, you become aware of every little detail in that leaf and of its relationship with the environment."
Even though her photography is full of colour, she was inspired by several black and white photographers, such as Minor White and John Blakemore. White sought equivalences with symbols and metaphors. "I love the work and approach of Minor White and other photographers, who meditated in nature. These photographers have always inspired me by the multiple layers of meaning and beauty in their work. Minor White talked about equivalence in photography, which has inspired me in my work."
Earth Matters
In her recently released work, Earth Matters, Simpson shows composite landscapes that depict an understanding of the complexity, fragility, and transient nature of our living planet. In line with her previous artworks, she continues to express her deep-felt reverence for our natural world. In these photo works, we see a surreal natural world with trees, birds, foxes, ferns, flowers, roots, and rocks. The use of a composite of different layers combined with artificial lights creates an atmosphere of a paradisiacal world of a balanced ecosystem. The series has been created during the pandemic. "The shock of Covid-19 is a reminder to us of how vulnerable we are as a species, and how everything and everyone on our planet is connected. Many of us have turned to nature to reduce stress levels, improve mental health, and stay physically active. Arising from this, significant positive outcomes have emerged, such as our growing awareness, understanding, and appreciation of nature."
Christine currently lives in Southern Ireland and has done so since 1989. Shortly after her arrival, she secured a position as a Photography Lecturer on both the BA Design Communications and BA Art at Waterford Institute of Technology. Outside of academia, Christine is a practicing Artist and Curator. She is represented by Gormley's Fine Art, Dublin and Belfast and Curated in London. Her work has been shown in Ireland, Spain, Great Britain, New York (which includes the United Nations Headquarters) and Japan.
www.christinesimpsonphotoart.com
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