Marc Wilson- The Last Stand
This book purchase was made coming into module 3 as it was recommended by a tutor. It focuses on the last defences of the World War 2 in northern Europe. The book is set out beautifully and the first page features a map of the northern territory which shows the locations that Wilson has captured. With my practice I have always incorporated a map as it gives good geographical context to audiences. I do wonder if this is something I will use in my final project but as I can see from Wilson’s body of work, it is an integral part of the book. By having this at the front of the book you can always flip back when referencing different chapters.
The book is broken down into 4 chapters/areas England & Wales, Scotland and Atlantic wall which is something I will remember when editing my images down into a publication. Each chapter has paragraph about the history for that chapter and then a few lines for each specific area. I appreciate the amount of text that has been included as it adds valuable historical context, you don’t need to be a history buff to know what the imagery is about as it is all supplied for you. I will certainly take note, as I think it is a good way to present your work, providing the history makes it more accessible to audiences and helps with understanding your intent and purpose.
Wilson has shot his work with a soft, flat grey light, which many of these areas feature foggy sea mist conditions. Shooting with this soft light offers continuity and lets the structures be the main feature of the shot instead of adding extra drama with contrasting shadows. In an interview with Royal Armouries Wilson talks about the reasons for his project he talks about these areas holding military significance and as time passes we start to lose memories, experiences and people and so these works (Wilsons) becomes even more important. (Royal Armouries, 16 Nov 2013). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=arTdlo_yYsM
This body of work is by far my favourite so far, Wilson’s images look effortless, the soft grey light draws you in to these eerie structures. This work gives me a lot of inspiration for taking my practice further, thinking about lighting, how it complements its subject, composition of the coastline etc. The publication and its simple but clean layout of text and images, of which I will certainly consider when putting my work together.
I also enjoyed watching the interview that he gave with Falmouth and in particular his tips on project proposals and funding. To have a longer and shorter project proposal and also printing smaller photos of his work in progress and carrying these around, ready to show. I will certainly do this as I have some upcoming meetings/conferences with Living Legacies, with these available I could drum up some interest for my project.
Critical Research Journal 
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