Jeremy Hastings. Artist, Photographer and Storyteller.
We had a visit from Jez Hastings today who explained that he is doing his PhD at Staffordshire University. Combining his knowledge of the geography of the land, walking along it and photographing it as he goes, Jez uses his photography to tell stories of his walks and encounters as a way of research whilst also creating an unusual exhibition.
This unique experience of seeing and hearing of Jez’s travels was achieved by way of us students choosing a single slide viewer from a box of several others. Each is numbered and corresponds to an entry in Jez’s notebook. The photographs are the product of two walks, one along the route of the river Wye, the other the river Duddon.
Seated in a circle we were asked to look at our viewer and, if we wanted, to then describe what we could see in the viewer. Elouise took the plunge and I reluctantly went next before the silence became deafening! My description was of what looked like part of a country lane, grass verge with discarded litter of cans, food/drink packaging, hedgerow, trees without leaves which meant possibly spring as there were small flowers in the grass verge (the image was monochrome) and a country gate with a sign saying ‘private road’. There were shadows which suggested the sun was shining.
Jez checked the number on my viewer, ‘three’, and proceeded to find the corresponding notes in his book. This was the story; Along his journey near the river Wye he came across the ‘private road’ notice on a lane and an elderly chap who he had a conversation with. The gentleman explained he had always walked along this lane to forage for hazel to carry out basket weaving. But as the land had now changed ownership and the signage had appeared this meant he was no longer able to walk his usual path ending his pastime of seventy years. In this tale Jez also highlighted how little of England’s land we as the public are allowed to traverse. What used to be simply ‘trespassing’ with minimal knuckle rapping for straying from the path is soon to become a full criminal offence should we wander off certain pathways. Ownership of land is hard to follow. Litter left, contrary to belief, is not the responsibility of the landowner to clear and the council do not have the funds to clean up and so it remains.
The simple little photographic image opened up a whole world of debate on our green and pleasant land.
This link that Jez has created between the environment, walking, photography and dialogue about ecology and land ownership will make an interesting interactive exhibition wherever he takes it.