Abstract Rhythm and Blue Notes exhibition

The Hills of the South Country

The chalk hills of the South Downs fringe the southern coast of Sussex. It is a landscape formed by sea, light and wind. The contours of the hills ever-changing as the shadows of the clouds skim across, hiding and revealing. Deep dark valleys come and go as the sun charts it’s course.

It is a feminine landscape of soft curves and mysterious shadows. Shapes echoed by the Cuckmere river as it meanders it’s way to the sea, where the white cliffs of the Seven Sisters watch over the shining water.

The chalk was formed by marine deposits laid down millions of years ago when this land was under warm seas. The hills seem like solidified waves, an echo back to this time.

Strange figures etched in the chalk hint at stories from long ago, stories now lost to time but connecting with us still, through myth and legend. No-one knows for how long the “Long Man” has stridden across the landscape or for what purpose. The giant is keeping his secret.

Time is different when walking on these hills – a moment can be as short as the time it takes for a shadow to pass across the grassy slopes, or as long as a connection to a figure carved centuries ago.

Here is a land painted by light and redolent with mystery. A magical place, both familiar and unknown.

My current and ongoing project is to try and capture some of the essence of this place through my photography.