“Both the Scottish Highlands and Islands and many parts of Ireland suffered from depopulation, caused by famine, population clearance as landlords sought to reorganise land holdings; and destitution as farm incomes failed to meet the most basic needs. The resulting landscapes reflect these events. Much of these areas is covered in blanket bog, once the only source of fuel and still cut traditionally. Blanket bog is now of major importance as it sequesters more carbon than woodland. Farming was and still is generally confined to the edges of the bogs. Always marginal, many of the small fields are slowly reverting to heathland as older farmers retire.
These landscapes are incredibly emotive but are often shown as they were, a perverse romanticisation. I prefer to work directly from the subjects and I try to show contemporary landscapes, the product of the history but not frozen in their past.”
The ubiquitous white plastic sacks have replaced the traditional baskets.
