Loranc’s work includes an exhibition of silver gelatin photographs of tules (which I understand are defined as bulrushes) and a book entitled Traces http://anseladams.com/within_sight/
Loranc describes his subject as follows:
“Tules and reeds silently exist in the shallow waters of marshes, muddy shores and lakes. This quietude is an elixir, both personally and professionally. To attempt to capture the essence of this setting is a challenge. All too often we find ourselves in the midst of the chaos of our daily lives: chasing deadlines, attending meetings, suffering traffic, and the like. And often these things are accompanied by noise, both audible and inaudible, as our minds spin. In my effort to escape these realities, I seek quiet places, away from distractions, and in doing so have found relaxation for my mind, as well as interesting subject matter for my photography. When I venture into these places, I saturate myself in the solitude. The price of admission is small: surrendering to the environment. It is my pleasure to pay the toll and commence my work.”
Here are a couple of Loranc’s beautiful images:
Roman Loranc
Roman Loranc
Apart from the subject matter which has similarities with my work on The Road to Elgol , the black and white medium and the pursuit of solitude and quiet, there are also comparisons in terms of the quality and production of a fine art book and interestingly accompanied by poetry which is one of my ideas for my Final Major Project.
In terms of the subject matter there are a number of Lochs on the Road to Elgol including Loch Cill Chroisd that I photograph regularly and also the much larger Loch Slapin. These are a couple of my images of bulrushes at Cill Chroisd:
Loch Cill Chroisd
What is fascinating to me is how Loranc captures exactly what he sets out to do, conveying the sense of solitude, peace and calm in the location he has chosen. This is something I am currently grappling with in my imagery by seeking to share my experience of The Road to Elgol. Loranc also talks about how he gets lost in his pursuit of the perfect image and how the hypnotic effect of the reeds enables this to happen. I also find nature has a hypnotic effect on me as I drink in the landscape and get lost in my photographic pursuits.
I think there is lots for me to learn from Loranc’s work, how he chooses to exhibit and in what form. I also think an additional micro project on reeds might be something for me to focus on in Sustainable Prospects.
