in the line of fire, 2021 - ongoing
There is something both haunting and beautiful about Thursley Common as it rises from the ashes of the wildfire that swept through the heathland in May 2020. Charred trees sculpted by fire bear witness to a moment of destruction while quietly signalling the possibility of renewal.
Conceived during the Covid lockdown, In the Line of Fire emerged from repeated walks through a landscape close to my home. Returning over time, I became interested not in the event itself but in its aftermath: the slow processes of recovery, adaptation and change that continues long after the flames have disappeared.
The work explores the idea of the infinite through cycles of disturbance and regeneration. Each visit reveals subtle shifts in land and flora, exposing the landscape as a living process rather than a fixed scene.
As wildfires become increasingly common in southern England, the series reflects on resilience, memory and the fragile continuity of ecosystems in an era of environmental uncertainty.
