Meg Campbell 1908015 YR2 Art Blog

Mushrooms are a vital part of the ecosystem of the planet and help with decomposition and decay, giving back to the land. They also have a complex system of "roots" with a structure similar to the synapses in the human brain, meaning they are nearly impossible to get rid of. Not only this but their spore release mechanism allows for wider spreading and communication over wider areas.  Personally, I just love the shapes mushrooms create as well as the micro landscapes created when they pop up in random locations. The sheer number of shapes and colours fungi can take is fascinating to me as well as how their root system relates to the way humans function with one another, a veritable network of connections.  Not only are mushrooms/fungi interesting to me, I find them very beautiful. Something about their shape has me captivated as well as how those shapes interact with other variables such as figures, skulls, lips and eyes that dominate my own pe...

  My Third Dérive On my third outing I tried to look more towards micro elements of the environment around me, namely the life and growths on and around trees. This led me to find more fungi and moss growths, trying to take pictures of their textures and how they interacted with the world in general. For this I kept the same idea of only taking pictures of what caught my eye specifically as well as things that stood out in the environment, whilst still being naturally occurring.  All Photography taken 23/10/2020 

  My second outing to the woods; This was a section of the woods near me that always fascinated me. It consists of purposely planted spruce trees and they all occupy straight lines, creating an interesting, albeit eerie woodland. I wasn't able to document what I heard but this section of the woods also has the loudest bird activity for some reason and adds to the interesting atmosphere.  My camera picked up interesting light differences which I didn't correct as I thought it added to the atmosphere of this particular photo set and also made for the main focus of my curation of images. I may not of mentioned this before, but I personally dislike editing my photography as I feel it takes away from the natural elements that I strive to capture, especially seeing as a dérive is something that is meant to document as well as create. Another interesting part of this trail is the fact that the spruce forest is surrounded by scrub land with more sparse birch tree spread as well as hea...

  My First Derive What is a derive?   The   dérive   ( French: , "drift") is a revolutionary strategy originally put forward in the "Theory of the Dérive" (1956) by  Guy Debord , a member at the time of the  Letterist   International .   Debord defines the   dérive   as "a mode of experimental behavior linked to the conditions of urban society: a technique of rapid passage through varied ambiances."   It is an unplanned journey through a landscape, usually  urban , in which participants drop their everyday relations and "let themselves be drawn by the attractions of the terrain and the encounters they find there". Though solo   dérives   are possible, Debord indicates that the most fruitful numerical arrangement consists of several small groups of two or three people who have reached the same level of awareness, since cross-checking these different groups' impressions makes it possible to arrive at more objective conc...