The New Forest National Park : seeing landscape differently

• Main Author: Marsden, Kenneth Jeffrey
• Published: Bath Spa University 2014
• Subjects: 333.75
• Online Access: http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.607638

This thesis provides a detailed study of the New Forest National Park (NFNP) boundary - an artificial, geo-political construct - contributing towards wider debates (and issues) around the representation of this and other 'divisions' within the landscape. Further, the thesis challenges its function by producing an original anti-pictorial re-constructed series of images that serve as an antidote to the superficiality of the 'scenic view', and fills an important gap in the field of contemporary landscape photography. Part one of the thesis comprises an exhibition of twelve photographs of the NFNP boundary that highlight the unnecessary, artificial categorisation of landscape and provides a visual anti-pictorial declaration for the unification (and democratisation) of landscape. Part two is an illustrated written text separated into two further sub-sections. The first section provides a detailed study of how the development of a 'romanticised' landscape aesthetic evolved and continues to not only, shape the public's perception but also, reinforce stereotypical representations of the 'scenic' forest landscape. This is followed by an analysis of psychogeography and the notion of the 'wanderer' seeking out the 'non-place' in the rural landscape and a review of how and to what extent regional boundaries and national borders have been represented divisions and tensions within political, ideological and geographical contexts. Finaiiy, a review of the 'non-scenic' landscape existing as a 'social document' as opposed to an 'artwork' incorporating notions of 'stillness' and the 'un-dramatic' is provided. The second section details an inclusive research methodology, which comprises three distinct phases: (i) exploration and experimentation, (ii) re-focus and refinement and (iii) synthesis. Each phase charts and critically appraises the chronological development of the research journey in terms of the information sources consulted and the photographic practice undertaken in order to realise the thesis aims. This part-theory, part-practice based empirical study demonstrates how and why the NFNP boundary has created an artificial categorization of the 'scenic' and the 'nonscenic' landscape and acts as a superficial and divisive construct i.e. the barricade of beauty.