In their last endeavour, the remains and detritus of the summer garden bring about a short moment of order like dying soldiers in a Greek tableau of war. Such carnage. These images are printed fairly large, 30x45 or larger. Their size allows for patterns to be observed that otherwise would go unknoticed.
Time Seems to Bring Order to the Chaos
Chaos, Some Slight Order, and Time
This week, I’ve been working on a series of large photos of chaotic vegetative spaces, these include gardens, woodlands and, as seen below, lots of time in compost piles. Carbon and nitrogen-rich piles, waiting for transformation. The biggest changes are chemical, and not visible to the eye.
A Walk On The Circular Path Around The Bog
For three or four years I have been taking this walk around the bog in Richmond, British Columbia. The hedges grow in around the route and block out the sun here and there, and left it in blazing a few inches away. The contrasts are sharp. The brush grows, often looking like wave formations and explosions. The heavy rains made the season short this year, already there is snow in the mountains.
House with Roses, Vancouver.
The Woodlands Near Squamish
After three days of rain the forest is even a brighter green.
The Winter Fence 1
During the winter the city of Richmond decided to cut down wild brush that had overgrown a pathway on Iona Island, where the city airport is located. It seems that some areas were uncovered that for years could not be approached because of the Himalayan Blackberry bushes, an invasive plant the forms an absolutely impenetrable wall. The fence that protected the woodlands was finally revealed. Still the area looks like some massive environmental upheaval took place.
jim roche 2022 all rights reserved
Winter in the Garden
I arrived this morning at the gardens just as sunrise was taking place. Even two days after the heavy snowfall there was only a single set of human footprints and a few tracks of animals. No one seems to want to be out. Two large pheasants flew out of the garden. Hearing my footsteps on the crusted snow large black crows, a stark contrast to the white/grey snow and sky, flew away, took a look, found me harmless and returned in a flutter. The garden’s buildings, a set of semi-temporary structures which are my main interest are now seen in outline form. Colours muted, stature diminished. In my mind are images from the New Topographics movement, thinking how few were of winter…if any, and images from the Dusseldorf School which had photographers much more focused on landscapes, and you are more likely to see a winter image. I stayed as long as I could feel my toes. ©jim roche, all rights reserved.
Totem: For David Smith.
A Walk Through the Cranberry Farms and Marshland.
These images are from a short project I have been working on during a break in the rain. These paths seem endless, with walkways across the cranberry fields, through the marshlands and then by the river. Some are wide open walkways, some roads and then, suddenly you can be bending over to make your way through an archway of winter-bent tree branches. Eagles, floatplanes and clouds pass by endlessly. There is a rumble of explosions from quarries in the mountains echoing back and forth across the valley. Remnants of last season’s berry crop, bright red, break through where there was snow and ice a few days before.
