I am a recent photography graduate from the University of Plymouth. Elementum was inspired by my interest in world cultures and mythologies, as well as in stories. The desire was to create a project where the landscape was somewhat ambiguous – almost as though it were from a fantasy itself, and to incorporate research into cross-cultural understandings and similarities through the realm of mythology. I wanted to take photographs that inspired the imagination, that would make the audience think about the stories from their youths, regardless of where, or how, or what culture they grew up in. The series explores our collective mythologies, and how it shapes our societies and ways we tell stories. Not only this, but it explores the character of the landscape, and it’s place within those narratives.
It is an exploration of our understanding of the universal archetypes and narratives, and how they can resonate across cultural or societal barriers. Although there may be some differences in the symbolism, or representation, or the meaning, the root of that concept remains universal. The photographs also explore how the elements of nature are linked with different aspects of those narratives, as well as the varying ways in which they can be present/represented within a landscape. The four classical elements are represented in almost all cultures worldwide, and have links with the mythologies and stories found within them.
