Critical Research Journal

Through module one I touched on John Kippin and viewed his body of work (Cold War Pastoral) online, I then purchased his book so I could contextualise his work further in relation to my current practice. Kippin has captured the ever-changing landscape of Greenham Common, documenting what is left from the history. From its uses as an military air force base, to being the home to the women’s peace camp against nuclear war, to its current use as public parkland. The introduction by Kippin and the essays included in the book put his practice in great understanding and discuss wider social and political issues. I will be able to use the essays as critical context for my own practice as they both cover similar issues. In Kippin’s introduction he says “Perhaps the contributions from this book will, in long term, act as a prompt to remind us of a particular chapter in our history, and that future generations when using the Common to walk or play on, will reflect on might have been.” (Kippin, 2001, Page 6). I feel with my intent I also what to make a point of capturing areas that represent our history and by capturing it, I make a record that can be received by generations for the future.

Kippin has captured the site with landscape in mind. For me including the flowers/heath in the foreground is a constant reminder of the relationship between the military base and its current use of a local park and how the landscape is slowing regenerating itself. This is his representation of the changes that this site has gone through.

http://johnkippin.com/images.html

I also think he has captured the site with a ‘true’ record in mind, the importance of preserving what is left in the ever-changing landscape. Mark Durden says in the book “There is a certain forensic quality to these pictures, a sense of simply gathering evidence, of preserving visual traces before they disappear”. (Mark Durden, P113), which I would certainly agree but more so with his interior shots. His interior shots I feel have less aesthetics than the outside shots. There is more focus on recording the space but still mindful of his position and how lines and shapes from the existing fixtures & fittings lead you through the image. (sorry couldn’t find example online, features in book)

I also like how larger scenes have been presented in the book, with a fold out, 3 shot panoramic. Gives an opportunity for the audience to view it as one or as 3 individual images, I would like to experiment that with my own work.

Kippin and my practice have quite a few similarities and I enjoy the way he has made the right balance with just a bit ‘evidence’ recording and his representations of the landscape with a past military presence. I think going forward into the next module I would like to steer my practice to a balance of both. As each site is different it would give me the opportunity to stay consistent with changing elements from each site.