Tracey Thorne
Fieldnotes Jamaica
Land of Good and Wata, Port Antonio, Portland, Jamaica cyanotype on paper
Fieldnotes Jamaica is a new series of work by photo artist Tracey Thorne made in response to the global climate crisis by reflecting on the environmental challenges facing the Island of Jamaica.
This new body of work was created during the pandemic, a period that provided the artist with more time to look closely at the world which surrounds us and reflect on one of the defining issues of our time.
Fragment, St Mary, Jamaica
Photograph Fragments I, Annotto Bay, St Mary, Jamaica
The images in the series explore Jamaica through a wide environmental lens as well as drawing upon personal experience of living on the island, research and a long term interest in the typography of landscapes. The work seeks to highlight the fractured and altered natural landscape as a result of inharmonious human interference from Colonial times to the present day.
The images presented in the series cover a broad range of issues relating to the environment and climate change. They were exhibited in July 2022 at The Hive Gallery in Birmingham, UK in a project that received support from Arts Council England.
Selected images from Fieldnotes Jamaica.
Photograph Aluminium Printing plates, Denham Town, Kingston
No Dumping Zinc Fence, Tivoli Gardens, Kingston
Fragments II, Port Antonio, Portland,
Cut Here - Road Construction, Portland, Jamaica
A set of cyanotypes were also made as part of the Fieldnotes Jamaica and printed on Fabrianno 5 (not) paper.
Selected cyanotypes (digital scans) shown below and gallery image of the wall grid shown in the exhibition:
A set of cyanotypes were also made on old early twentieth century Jamaica postcards. Read the photo essay on disrupting old so called 'picturesque Jamaica' postcards here.
