This is a photograph which I took at Yorkshire Sculpture Park in my first year of art college. Originally in colour and taken from my phone I played about with it on the phone filters to change it to black and white. I like it as an image because she looks small, fragile and venerable in comparison to the solid, hard sculpture she is standing on her posture feels like she is in deep thought . I would like to try to enhance it on photo shop (if I can summon up the courage for a hugely frustrating task ! so tbc) and unfortunately I do not have the original of it.
Fear of heights is quite common in humans, I have a real fear of heights which comes from a serious fall I had as a child. I free fell about 15 ft from a steep quarry face, because my shoe had become wedged in and the force I used to release my foot resulted in me losing my balance. It was a very dramatic rescue, as I was on a ledge about 20 ft of the ground, I remember some of this time but I kept falling in and out of consciousness. I spent 6 weeks in hospital because I had broken both my arm and my nose, I remember a lot of the procedure’s being incredibly painful. I am able to conjure that still strong and powerful feeling if I think about falling. I try and overcome that fear by challenging myself in facing the fear by climbing ladders or looking down from a bridge. I am always intrigued by other peoples reasons for their fear of heights.
I have spent the summer cycling to work at the COVID Test sight and I passed the grave yard twice daily. Ironic as we are constantly being reminded by the media about death rates invoking fear in us.
Fear of Spiders
Arachnophobia is an intense and irrational fear of spiders and other arachnids such as scorpions. Treatment is typically by exposure therapy, where the person is presented with pictures of spiders or the spiders themselves.
Other names: Arachnephobia
Pronunciation: /əˌræknəˈfoʊbiə/
Specialty: Psychiatry
Treatment: Exposure therapy
I tried to make a video of a spider in my living room. Unfortunately, I only managed a few out of focus photos as it kept going up and down on its thread. The spider’s movement is quite interesting it reminds me of an accident I had as a child, the sensation of falling. However it was safely anchored
Fear for the environment
This is a photograph I took during lockdown 1. Inspired by Venus of the rags and the amount of packing and unpacking clearing and sorting which went on in my household. The goddess figures were made by me whilst I was experimenting with mould making, they are now “ back yard goddesses” , weathering the elements.
Political unrest and a police state, laws changing
Nottingham 2019