Britain From The Air

The vastness of the conversations these massive photographs spark up is awe inspiring. Each landscape or scene depicts a part of the British horizon and tells a story about our modern lives. Looking at the specific shapes of crop circles I engage in a late night debate with a pal who is passing by as to who put these shapes in place.

The massive panels that can easily be stared at for an entire lunch hour have been a joy to walk through. The temporary outdoor free exhibition lends a wonderful new perspective of the old hanging yard they stand in. The Norman Castle that now remains a model Victorian prison is photographed from the air and shows an educational view. The winding path down from the Mound leads from the well chamber in a perfect zig zag down the side of the Mound that would have lain inside the well-defended Castle grounds.

On another of the 100 aerial photographs on display the local marshy earth gathers a sitting pool of water just next to the river that flows through the Shire. This illustrates the boggy earth Oxford is built on. The dreaming spires are spun out in a nearby image like a patchwork to show the evolution of the city in an aspirational photograph to inspire both visitors and residents alike.

Other pictures on offer are sourced from further a field. The industrial commercial diggers that work the ground for natural resources are snapped in a photograph of Port Talbot. Such operations shape the environment in a more direct way and the image looks at how industry is a big part of our landscape. Natural irregularities we celebrate in our landscape stick out like rocky Suilven which is a peak that looks like it needs to be conquered. The colours of the wild surrounding each photograph are breathtaking. Fortified medieval Raby Castle shows the extent to which wealthy land owners went to defend areas of this country. This beautiful exhibition goes a long way to help the viewer understand why.

Lita Doolan (DI Reviewer), 02/09/11

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