by British artist Oliver Raymond Barker explores the complex histories embedded in the fabric of the land and engages with n
A portable camera obscura records the deep time of Scotland’s Rosneath Peninsula, home of the UK’s nuclear weapons program, in a handmade limited artists’ book. Trinity by British artist Oliver Raymond Barker explores the complex histories embedded in the fabric of the land and engages with narratives around spirituality, protest and control. Early Christian pilgrims voyaged to remote corners of the British Isles such as Rosneath in search of sanctuary; they sought to use the elemental power of nature as a means of gaining spiritual enlightenment. Today, the peninsula is dominated by the presence of the military bases HMNB Faslane and RNAD Coulport. Existing alongside these sprawling sites are the small, temporary constructions of itinerant activists protesting against the nuclear presence – locations such as the Peace Wood bear traces of their occupation. Through an immersive process, made on the boundaries of the photographic medium, this work weaves together these disparate yet interconnected threads. Oliver Raymond Barker works with the mechanics and alchemy of photography to make images, objects and structures that expand upon what photography is and can be. Working predominantly with alternative analogue techniques he uses photography as a tool to uncover imagined narratives & unseen processes, framed by his interest in culture, ecology and spirituality. Recent exhibitions and displays include RAW Phototriennale, Germany (2020), Belfast Photo Festival (2019), Unseen CO-OP, Amsterdam (2018) & Newlyn Art Gallery, Cornwall (2017). From 2014 - 2015 he was Creative Associate at the University of Exeter’s Environment and Sustainability Institute where he collaborated on The Natural Alchemy project. He is currently a lecturer at The Institute of Photography, Falmouth University, UK. Out of Print, Special Edition still available 68pp, 250 × 350 mm, 35 photos Printed hardcover with black boards, comprising two stitched booklets with images & texts on six different papers, handmade edition of 250 copies. Texts by Martin Barnes and Nick Hunt ISBN 9781912719327 Special edition also available: 9×12" handprint, edition of 50, in a handmade debossed side-stapled box Book launch Friday 18 March 2022, Reference Point, London Press: Lensculture
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