S P I LT MILK
The title, Spilt Milk, derives from the saying “there’s no use crying over spilt milk”, suggesting that there is no use being upset over situations that have happened and cannot be changed. This analogy is in many ways perfect for our approach throughout the Covid-19 pandemic as BA Documentary Photography students at the University of South Wales. In an attempt to mop up the spillage rather than cry over its loss, the graduating year of 2021 have persevered and overcome many challenges in order to complete our projects. This publication displays our determination to share the stories that we are passionate about, whilst celebrating the range of our photographic interests and styles. Pippa Harris
Introduction It’s been an interesting year to say the least! In normal times, so much of the life on the documentary course is based around face-to-face interaction. The same is true about the practice of documentary itself and therefore both tutors and students have faced a very different set of circumstances. We have become accustomed to often teaching online and the students have adapted to overcome restrictions and produce many incredible projects — some, but not all, about the covid situation. Our thanks go to the students for continuing in a positive manner and for such an enjoyable and stimulating year. Last, but not least, our very best wishes and thanks to our dear colleague Paul Reas, who after a distinguished career in teaching, and nearly 40 years of association with our documentary course in one guise or another, retires this year. Co-Course Leader David Barnes
Chloe Nicholls Eva Falk-Drake Matthew Harry Morgan Williams Connor Guy Katy Bird Eliza Cooke Zoe Marshall Jared Morgan Amelia Shone-Adams Joseph Landen Craig Connor Kinga Kacala Joshua Smith Iga Koncka Mikie Renwick Emily Jones Pippa Harris Alexander J Carnie Sanne Rietveld
Chloe Nicholls
Remember you must die
Humans continually look for answers to the question, “what happens when we die?”. The desire to rationalise a transcendent reality where ‘life goes on’ can be seen as a reflection on the human condition and its need for answers. COVID-19 has incited a global conversation on the subject of mortality, with the virus leaving many families dealing with the loss of loved ones. As a result, Spiritualism in the UK has seen a dramatic resurgence, and Spiritualist Mediums have been inundated with those seeking connection and clarity in the form of contact with the spirit world. The Spiritualist movement originated in the 1800s, based on the belief that the deceased have the ability to communicate with the living from the afterlife. Remember you must die considers the collective need to prescribe belief and meaning to that which lies outside immediate perception, exploring the ways in which the Spiritualist movement is thriving in a time where uncertainty is widespread. The body of work examines societies’ natural curiosity about death and opens up new avenues for exploring the nature of reality through apparent communication with the deceased. The project utilises a combination of documentary photographs, reappropriated digital material and staged scenes to create a fragmented exploration of mediumship in the modern day. @chloenichollsphoto
Eva Falk-Drake
Biodiversity Quilt
The term ‘biodiversity’ refers to the range of different species that exist within a specific ecosystem. The more biodiverse, the healthier and more resilient an ecosystem is. Resilience is key to ecosystems because they need to be able to adapt, especially when they are faced with human impacts such as deforestation and intensification of agriculture. In cities — estimated to produce 75% of global emissions — this is even more critical. Cities must therefore be designed to be at the forefront of the fight against the climate crisis with spaces like Winnall Moors Nature Reserve in Winchester, Hampshire becoming core elements of urban design. Winnall Moors Nature Reserve is a 64-hectare wildlife haven situated in the heart of Winchester, Hampshire. The area was shaped in the 17th century to be a water meadow and it has never been ploughed or treated with artificial fertiliser. It is not a functioning water meadow anymore but instead a conservation area with rich biodiversity that attracts otters, salmon, kingfishers, scarlet tiger moths; to name a few. The area is protected as the River Itchen runs through its centre — a chalk river that is internationally important because of its clear water — making it ideal for animals to breed and thrive. Biodiversity Quilt uses the discipline of craftivism to explore biodiversity in Winnall Moors Nature Reserve. Cyanotype photographs of the reserve are first developed onto fabric, before being toned with plants collected from the nature reserve and finally quilted together. www.evafalkdrake.com @eva.fd
Matthew Harry
A465
History is an odd thing; events can happen quickly, with no reason, only for you to realise later that they were in some way inevitable. These changes can be societal, political or even geographical. In the case of the A465 road, all three make up its history. Well known as ‘The Heads of the Valleys’ road, its place as the second trunk route in and out of south Wales is a story of the Wales of old reinventing itself for the modern age. With the closure of the mines and the decline of heavy industry in the mid to late 20th century, the road fulfilled the needs of the quickly expanding light industrial estates and personal transport. Built in the boom of car ownership, in the 1960’s, it neatly took over the space vacated by the removal of the railways in the ‘Beeching Axe’ cuts. The same railways that took over from the canals to fuel the ever-growing need of the industrial revolution and the British Empire for coal. Since the end of the 20th century, sections of the road have been widened to cope with increased traffic flow. This has created some controversy, with the work going over budget and over time. Projected to finish by the end of 2021, the work will add a new layer to the ever-changing history of Wales. www.a465.cymru @spoolwoundphotography
Heads of the Valleys
Accompanying text by Paul Cabuts The imagination can be fired by what we see as we travel — this seems particularly true of those journeys where we are simply passing through. The route now followed by the A465 road, also known as the ‘Heads of the Valleys’ road, inspired the Victorian traveller George Borrow to write of his journey to Merthyr Tydfil as he toured through Wales. Catching his first glimpse of ‘Merthyr’ at night he witnessed a “glowing mountain” that grew more terrible as he journeyed towards it. He reached the point where he “… went through a filthy slough, over a bridge, and up a street… [where there were] throngs of savage-looking people talking clamorously”. Such dystopian images of industrial Wales became a particularly popular subject within literature and visual media during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Matthew Harry’s A465 photographs not only remind us that routes of travel are always emerging, evolving and transforming, they also allow us to dwell on certain aspects of this process. The glimpse of an old Roman road is a reminder of how important resources from Wales were used to fuel colonial expansion in the past. The early industrial period would see the construction of canals soon to be followed by the railway. Their importance eventually waned as freight took to the road and motor transport, with the A465 becoming the preferred route between south Wales and the Midlands. The photographs reveal these historical developments as much as they show a contemporary road in its landscape. The photographs also remind us that the recent upgrading of the A465 was funded by the European Union. Then came Brexit, the attempt to dismantle the NHS, and all the other things that are being inflicted upon us by those profiteers who are both supporting, and being supported by, neo-liberal politicians. Indeed, the whole structural integrity of society seems as unsustainable as the planet itself in terms of our unrelenting drive to consume and generate profit. For now, at least, the Heads of the Valleys road reminds us that our world will keep evolving and transforming as we travel towards a future that can only be imagined. ©Paul Cabuts 2021
Morgan Williams
100% Plastic
Plastics surround us. We use them, consume them and wear them. In fact, clothing made from plastic material, also known as synthetic fabric, has become extremely popular due to its affordability and cheap production costs. Not only do we wear these plastics, we also live in environments overcrowded with plastic materials which emit chemicals and toxins that have not been rigorously tested for human safety. Recent studies have shown that the chemical properties of plastics in clothing and our daily environments can worsen health conditions and cause skin irritation, respiratory issues, and nausea, to name a few. Whilst widely used, synthetic chemicals such as pesticides and flame retardants have been linked to cancer. 100% Plastic explores the toxic impact synthetic materials have on our health within our own homes. Through staged performances the ‘plastic family’ is represented; using clothes and props that have toxic qualities (such as perfume, cars and electronic devices) as well as combining acts of mundanity within fabricated settings to focus on the plastic within our environment. This approach is intended to suggest a collective blindness towards the synthetic toxins we are surrounded by in our daily lives and to highlight the possible consequences of our dependence on plastic. @morganwlms_
Connor Guy
How Green Was My Valley
How Green Was My Valley is a photographic project based on the 1939 novel by Richard Llewellyn, which was later adapted to cinema by John Ford. Both the novel and film are based on the booming coal mining industry in the Rhondda Valley, south Wales. The story is told through the lens of Huw Morgan who is the youngest of the Morgan family. The themes that run throughout the story are family, despair and love. How Green Was My Valley considers ways in which communities in the Rhondda valley have reclaimed land that was once used in the mining industry. The project emphasises the importance of the green spaces now used by communities, and is intended to celebrate local people, rather than reinforce some of the negative stereotypes affecting perceptions of the area. The project is made up of photographs of both people and landscapes of the Rhondda Valley, which are paired to emphasise the ways in which spaces are being occupied and used by residents. www.connorguy.com/ @c.guy1
Katy Bird
Childfree by Choice
This project explores a common stigmatisation of women who don’t have children as ‘incomplete’ and ‘not real women’. More women in western societies are choosing to not have children for a number of reasons, ranging from financial instability to hereditary disease. There are many common misconceptions about women who choose to not have children — that they will miss out on a full life experience or live a meaningless life of regret. Although western society can generally be seen to be progressing in regard to women’s independence, there remains a great pressure on women to get married and have children. I have been photographing a number of women who I found on online platforms that are dedicated to making a community with other women who are childfree by choice. @katybirdphoto
Toria “There are a number of reasons. First of all is lifestyle; I have always questioned the way our society favours those who follow a culturally acceptable path. I’ve chosen to earn less and explore more which has meant I have been regularly nomadic, working around the world or volunteering for somewhere to stay. It’s been 10 years now since I had permanent full-time work and I have enjoyed every moment of the flexibility and freedom that has come with it.”
Mangala “I’ve never wanted them! I’ve always felt my life had a different path. I’m dedicated to my business and projects. I’m not traditional in many ways and never wanted to feel tied down. I’ve lived all over the world, had many adventures and don’t regret anything. I’m a women’s empowerment and sexuality coach. I have clients all over the world and educate women on self-love, embodiment and awakening pleasure and orgasm. It definitely fits in with my child-free lifestyle.”
Jenni “Children should have parents that want them and I don’t want them. Having children is one of the biggest decisions a person can make. It’s irreversible.”
Alice “I have never wanted them. I enjoy my independence, financial freedom and sleep. I am a Paramedic. I currently work in an ICU department and in a day ward. I am also a great believer that we are living on a finite planet which cannot hold a growing population. I try and be eco-conscious and by not having children I know my carbon footprint is significantly reduced. I am really proud I am not contributing as much as many others to this very frightening reality.”
Leanne “I have suffered with anxiety and depression since childhood. My childhood was not great. My cousin died of muscular dystrophy so I may carry the gene for that. My husband has ADHD and severe dyslexia. It would be unfair to risk having a child and risk it suffering. There are so many unwanted children out there, I don’t understand why people would encourage me to add to that number. I’ve never had a chance to enjoy life but I’m making up for that now.”
Laura “I was brought up in a traditional, conservative family where the life path for women was school, university, marriage, babies and maybe some work of some kind along the way, before becoming a housewife. I had always just assumed I would be a mother. It wasn’t until I was in my late 20s and parenthood was becoming a closer reality rather than a futuristic idea that I realised I didn’t really want children. The physical, emotional and financial investment seemed intense and so many women I knew were becoming mothers and losing another aspect of their identity. It’s still such a stigma, particularly in religious cultures. Parenthood should be something entered into mindfully — whether you do or don’t have kids. Saying no to kids can mean saying yes to so many other wonderful and positive things — not just for you but for your community as well.”
Eliza Cooke
Anabl
“To the person with the disability the disability may represent a form of castration; to the able-bodied person the sight of a disabled person may evoke the threat of castration.” Maxwell E. Cubbage and Kenneth R. Thomas discussing Freud (1988) In 2008 I acquired a disability. My relationship with the identity of ‘a disabled woman’ has always been complicated. I had what’s termed an ‘acquired brain injury’, which made me lose some of my brain function. Consequently, to do something, anything at all, I have to work a lot harder than ‘normal’ people. Anabl questions what disability means to me as well as reflecting on how disabled people are treated in society. My relationship with the camera is complex — I use all of my equipment one handed. It both reveals my condition whilst obscuring the reality of the emotions that I feel as a disabled person. These physical and mental limitations are made visible through dislocated and disjointed photographs of myself and the objects around me. My own lived experience and the allowances that I have made for able-bodied people is part of a long history of my exclusion. Over the last 35 years there has been a revolution in how disabled people are treated. Words like ‘mong’ and ‘spaz’ are no longer deemed acceptable. I have always been interested in how Cartesian theory discusses the ‘mind-body problem’ — with Descartes declaring ‘I think therefore I am’. If we are just thinking beings, is only our mind important? I miss my body as I remember it — being able to run, walk without a limp and not be stared at. Having two working arms can afford you freedom and independence. When I look at these images of myself, Diane Arbus’s work comes to mind. I think, “should I be in a freakshow?” @elizecookephotography_1
Zoe Marshall
New Bestie
What was there to do whilst we were in lockdown? A lot of people took up new hobbies, went out to exercise or made plans for the end of restrictions. Some of us, especially during wintertime, spent even more time than we usually do on our sofas. In New Bestie, I look at life on the sofa which has become an all too familiar place, and in some ways our new ‘best friend’. I photographed my parents using the sofa for all their everyday needs, whilst parts of the furniture are slowly removed. This close encounter with the materiality of modern sofas also allows us to consider the hidden components and processes which make up furniture as well as the impacts this form of consumption can have on the environment. @photographyxzoe
Jared Morgan
Home Guard
After the Military disaster that was Dunkirk, Britain faced Germany alone. With most of its heavy equipment left on the beaches of Dunkirk, Britain asked the question not ‘if’ an invasion will come but ‘when’. On 14 May 1940, the Secretary of State for War, Anthony Eden made a radio broadcast calling for men between the ages of 17 and 65 to enrol in a new force, the Local Defence Volunteers (LDV). By July, nearly 1.5 million men had enrolled, and the name of this people’s army was changed to the Home Guard. The Home Guard’s primary roles were the spotting of enemy paratroopers, the defence, by whatever means available, of its home patch, and to act as the eyes of the regular Army. Only after 1940, with better arms (mostly from the US) and training did its members gradually take over from the Army the role of defending the country. Meanwhile, Germany planned for an invasion to take place in September 1940, ‘Operation Sealion’. Stop lines were put in place to defend vulnerable parts of the country, including the coastline, a key element of these defences was known as ‘The Pillbox’. Concrete defence posts resembling the small cardboard boxes used by chemists to dispense pills at that time. The Directorate of Fortifications and Works (FW3) was set up at the War Office under the direction of Major-general G. B. O. Taylor. Its purpose was to provide a number of basic but effective pillbox designs that could be constructed by soldiers and local labour at appropriate defensive locations. FW3 issued six basic designs for rifles and light machine guns. To spread word in the event of an invasion, the Home Guard set up a code to warn their compatriots. The word ‘Cromwell’ indicated that a paratrooper invasion was imminent, and ‘Oliver’ meant that the invasion had commenced. Church bells were to be used as a call-to-arms for the rest of the defence force. Home Guard members were expected to man the scattered pillboxes and fight to the last man, delaying any invasion force while the regular army regrouped. Although ‘Operation Sealion’ never took place — 1,206 men of the Home Guard were killed on duty or died of wounds, with the pillbox acting as a key reminder of their hard work and sacrifice to keep their island safe.
Amelia Shone-Adams
The Veiled Reality
Throughout my life living with the neurological condition ‘Dyscalculia’, I’ve struggled to talk to others about my experiences and to seek support. In adulthood, I’ve become increasingly aware of the impact this has had on my education and my life more generally. Recently, I have begun to consider how similar conditions have affected others. It is estimated that between 4-5% of the UK population have experienced ‘Specific Learning Difficulties’ (SpLD), and research by the Department of Education, in 2019, has shown that boys and girls are both equally affected by SpLD. According to this study, schools in England are failing to diagnose at least 80% of pupils who have dyslexia. The Veiled Reality explores what it means to be an adult with a neurological learning condition, our stories throughout education, the struggles we face, the achievements we are proud of and the impact a lack of resources and awareness can have on the lives of those living with such conditions. www.ameliashone-adams.wixsite.com/theveiledreality @ameliashoneadamsphoto
Joseph Landen
Microsphere
Microsphere is a set of images which utilises a micro point of view to capture parts of everyday life that can’t be seen with the naked eye. The work acts as an investigation into the depth of our surroundings, exploring out of sight worlds which are made visible only through the lens. Unseen, alien landscapes composed out of everyday objects which then become unrecognisable, and in turn take on a new meaning from the ones assigned to them in the ordinary world.
Craig Connor
Moving Mountains
Moving Mountains documents the ongoing problem of landslides in Rhondda Cynon Taf county borough of the south Wales valleys. This problem has recently resurfaced due to the turbulent weather conditions posed by Storm Dennis in early 2020. Heavy precipitation, which has become more frequent as a result of climate change, can lead to an aggravation of coal tips, resulting in large masses of waste from the coal mining industry being displaced into the valleys, much to the alarm of residents. However, the local authorities have realised the scale of the problem and are beginning to make arrangements to mitigate the impact of these landslides. Moving Mountains depicts the damage caused by these landslides, as well as the preventative measures that are currently under construction. The photographs spotlight the reasons for the local resident’s concern, by illustrating the close proximity of these coal slips to housing, infrastructure and amenities. Many people in the area recall the tragedy of the ‘Aberfan disaster’ (1966), where 116 children and 28 adults were killed, and are concerned that there is a potential for an incident of this nature to occur again.
Kinga Kacala
The Border
There are around 3.6 million EU migrants living and working in the United Kingdom. Each one of those people holds their own story. This project explores the lives of 12 migrants living in the United Kingdom and the challenges they faced before and during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Joshua Smith
Incongruous Spaces
In his 1994 lecture “Of Other Spaces: Utopias and Heterotopias”, Michel Foucault describes the perfect urban environment as a ‘utopia’. However, he defines this as an impossible, unachievable condition that is filled with disappointment and unfulfilled dreams. He proposes the ‘heterotopic’ space, or ‘non-space’, a place where physical and mental recreation is promoted, to provide creativity, serenity and freedom. These ‘designer mindscapes’ are often green spaces and are positioned within the city to balance work, rest and play. The natural or man-made barriers of trees, paths, walls or rivers provide both physical and mental delineation, controlling both the flow of people through the space whilst sectioning them off from the surrounding metropolis. The subsequent creation of ‘incongruous spaces’ is the primary focus of this project. Within south Wales, Cardiff and Newport’s urban green spaces are under threat. Although urban parks are protected, other recreational spaces are in danger, as buildings continue to encroach and land prices increase, it is only a matter of time before these incongruous spaces disappear entirely. @joshuasmith.photography
Iga Koncka
Polarity
“If our voices are essential aspects of our humanity, to be rendered voiceless is to be dehumanized or excluded from one’s humanity. And the history of silence is central to women’s history. Violence against women is often against our voices and our stories.” (Rebecca Solnit, The Mother of All Questions, 2017) The feminist movement in Poland is needed now more than ever. The Constitutional Tribunal announced an anti-abortion law in Poland in October 2020, which made almost all cases of abortion illegal under the rules of the dominant ‘Law and Justice’ party (Prawo i Sprawiedliwość). Polarity is a dialogue between control, violence, religion, and symbols of womanhood. It represents the frustration and anger of the unfolding drama taking place in Poland. Performance bridges the gap between truth and fantasy. Post-truth statements are published on a daily basis in Polish media in order to support social control over women’s bodies. Propaganda values the use of photography and film as symbols of repression to restrict Polish women. My activism is born from observation and a desire to confront invisibility and disempowerment. Polarity is made to celebrate women’s power, to manifest the stories of those who are seen to be public enemies and a threat to the state. https://youtu.be/5q9dDQoDG9U @igakoncka
Mikie Renwick
Heroes of the Pandemic
As the Covid-19 pandemic recedes, this project looks at some of the people who have played their part in fighting the disease and supporting society in the UK. It includes a range of portraits of people; from NHS staff, single parents, postmen, teachers, food bank workers, social workers and many more. Heroes of the Pandemic, hopes to bring recognition to the people who deserve it the most.
Emily Jones
The Diary of Gwyn
“One morning, after the cutter went down the face and left all the duff (all the small coal after the cut), I was placed in position by my mate, and he was on the other side. Then it was faulting my side, and while I was removing the coal, the roof came in and buried me. As I tried to escape I fell on the belt, and it was still going. I was underneath and I stopped breathing. It pulled my leg sideways, damaging the ligaments and ribs and my back. I was carried to the surface and went to the hospital” The Diary of Gwyn explores the life of Gwyn Jones, eighty-one, of Abertillery in the south Wales valleys. Gwyn worked at the Six Bells Colliery from age thirteen. In 1957 at the age of sixteen, while working, a coalface collapsed on him. Gwyn was buried under the coal during the disaster for several hours until he was rescued. It took four years for him to recover mentally and physically from the trauma. His leg was damaged, he sustained injuries to his neck, and his eyesight was affected. During his recovery, Gwyn faced further tragedy when he lost friends in the Six Bells Colliery disaster of 1960, where forty-five men were tragically killed. The Diary of Gwyn explores the mental and physical effects Gwyn still faces today as an eighty-one-year-old man. Throughout the project, Gwyn describes his recovery from the accident, the tragedy of losing his friends and the toll these events have taken on his mental health. The photographs also explore the joy Gwyn finds in his life. The images are accompanied by archival images from Gwyn’s life, connecting the past to the present. @emilylj20004
Pippa Harris
Famed For Containing Nothing At All
The town of Malvern in Worcestershire, England, grew dramatically in Victorian times due to the natural mineral water springs in the locality. A 1757 analysis by Dr. John Wall stated “the Malvern waters… are famed for containing nothing at all”. Since 1622, the spring water has been collected and used by locals and visitors alike for the alleged healing properties it has been seen to possess. During the Victorian era, Dr. James Wilson and Dr. James Gulley set up ‘Water Cure’ establishments in the centre of Malvern town that offered hydropathy treatments. After visiting in 1850, Charles Dickens wrote “it is a most beautiful place. Oh heavenly to meet the cold waters as I did this morning when I went out for a shower bath”. Precambrian granite and limestone form the Malvern Hills; the density of which acts as a natural purifier, stripping away minerals and other impurities. The rocks are characterised by low porosity and high secondary permeability through fissures. When the fissures are saturated, a water table forms, and the water emerges as springs around the fault lines between the strata. The water permeates through the rock which, because of its hardiness, leaves little or no mineral traces in the water, while fine cracks act as a filter for other impurities. Due to the famed process of filtration that occurs out of sight in the geological environment, Famed For Containing Nothing At All adapts a visual narrative that navigates the invisibility of the water and constructs visual connotations that allude to the presence of water in the landscape without overtly presenting the water itself. Landscapes paint the coddled rock formations as part of the scenery. Details of the spring equinox are elaborated in gifts that celebrate the natural resource, placed as offerings to the earth. Finally, home experiments connote the filtration process alluding to acts of pressure and moving bodies of water which construct a visualisation of the natural phenomenon. www.pippaharris.co.uk @pipkharris2
Alexander J Carnie
Binocular Vision
Binocular Vision uses a homemade piece of photographic equipment to recreate the perspective seen when looking through a pair of binoculars. The work recreates and fixes the effects of magnification, depth and scale experienced when using binoculars in order to contemplate the influence these effects have on human perception of the natural world while birdwatching. The images imitate the shallow depth of field witnessed when birdwatching, as well as the binocular’s ability to ‘pierce’ through branches and undergrowth to reveal the birds within. The process of building the binocular lens involved sawing a pair of 8x40 binoculars in half, before attaching one half to a camera body. All the properties of the binoculars are then experienced when using the camera. This includes the circular black frame which is created directly from the lens. The circular frame evidences the binocular as a vital component in the creation of the photographs and resulting perspective experienced by the spectator. The new perspective of Binocular Vision is an examination of one form of viewing (birdwatching with binoculars) through another (photography). It is the combination of both forms of viewing, which led to the creation of the new photographic perspective. The work is a combination of both single photographs and sequences. The single photographs fix the binocular perspective, while the sequences record the movements and behaviours of the birds. The sequences allow us to witness in-between moments that aren’t normally seen in still photographs, as they are between one idealised photograph and the next. The single photographs and sequences come together to form a new representation of birdlife. One which documents the birds in their own habitat and their own world. The binocular perspective mediates our view of the birds and allows the viewer to peer into their world. The work is therefore, a new perspective on a subject that has been the topic of folklore, writing and art for centuries. The photographs give a fleeting, more realistic depiction of what bird watching is really like, sometimes extremely frustrating and at other times highly rewarding. It avoids the technical extremities of modern high-end photography to document the birds in a more naturalistic manner. www.alexanderjcarnie.com @alex.carnie
Grey Heron Green Woodpecker Willow Warbler Chiffchaff Male Sparrowhawk
Sanne Rietveld
When Caged Birds Fly
In chaos theory, the ‘flower of the sky’ — the butterfly — takes on a different meaning. In this theory it is the instigator of a chain of unfortunate events; a hurricane wrapped in a chrysalis. The flap of it’s wings represents a complex interconnected web in which a small variation in the system cascades to create a large-scale alteration of events. Had the butterfly not flapped its wings, could things have been different? In 2020 an event occurred that changed all of our trajectories, and the subsequent lockdown left us isolated from those we dearly love. For many of us the pandemic was a reminder of the illusion of control that we have over our lives when, in reality, fate — the prophetic butterfly effect — dictates our lives. When Caged Birds Fly considers how the pandemic has created an awareness of the lack of control we have over our lives. Sure, we make our own choices, but only at the mercy of every decision made since the beginning of time. The existential anxiety caused by the constant reminders of our mortality has, for some of us, fashioned fear into a cage from which we must break free. Birds appear in this work as a stimulus for thinking about the relationship between freedom and human society. With regard to leaving the national lockdown, there is a feeling that humankind may be tempting fate, however temptation and fate are opposite sides of the same coin. If you walk to the edge of a precipice you know the consequences of a misstep. Yet you walk to the edge anyway and take in the view. Fate is a consequence. Temptation is the driver of that consequence. What do we do with this newfound free will? @sxn.film
We would like to thank all the USW staff who have supported us through our three years. Lisa Barnard, Paul Reas, David Barnes, Carol Hiles, Jude Wall, Eileen Little, Mark Durden, Sarah Barnes, Gawain Barnard, Ian Llewellyn, Clive Landen and Alejandro Acin. As well as all the visiting lecturers that we have learnt so much from. Our time on the course would not have been the same without your commitment and guidance. We would like to thank Alexander J Carnie for designing the book and being part of the organising committee, alongside Eva Falk-Drake, Matthew Harry, Pippa Harris and Katy Bird. Finally, thank you to our year group for making the three years so memorable. www.uswspiltmilk.wixsite.com/home @spiltmilk_exhibition
Spilt Milk Published 2021 Photographs by BA Documentary Photography students at the University of South Wales, graduating year of 2021 Designed by Alexander J Carnie Assisted by Eva Falk-Drake All rights reserved No part of this book may be used or reproduced without permission from the author