Katie MacKinnon

Associate Member

To me, there is no subject more influential than what surrounds me. All that can be found within the natural environment. Not only what can be seen, but also all that we can experience - Experiences where a connection can be established on a level that takes a step beyond the visual, beyond the immediate, beyond the definable. Experiences that draw us out of our conscious mind, leaving us in a place where we are forced to face the unknown, and the reality that we are now embarking on a sub-reality. Where comprehension is lost, and the senses are thrown into a complete state of flux. This is what intrigues and challenges me.

My study is entirely site-specific. I hone in on a single location. This location is Sand Point, Weston-super-Mare. This particular headland breaks up the flow of the shore line between Weston and Clevedon. For the past five years I have found myself at the same small bay - just off Middle Hope - time and time again. Something about the location keeps me coming back. It is the perfect escape from the monotony of day to day life. It draws me away from society and the lifestyles that come with them.

The purpose of my work is investigatory. An exploration of the state in which I am left after taking that initial footstep over the boundary between captivity and freedom. Entry to the location is all it takes before I feel the transition. My quest is to learn more and attempt to make new discoveries - extracting information from the place itself - Unearthing the essence of a place through thorough exploration of each and every aspect - Water, weather, plants, wildlife, rocks, sand, pebbles, driftwood, seaweed, visitors, interventions, atmospherics, geological features, change.

This intense connection I have with the location is something I am continually trying to fathom. Resolving my many queries is yet to prove straight forward, but I intend to pursue every path I encounter until something surfaces. Even the tiniest thread of answer is a discovery. Each of these tiny threads can be pulled at, to entice the bigger answers out. I am prepared to face the reality that some questions will forever go unanswered, but I will never know whether or not that is the case unless I continue.

Katie MacKinnon

e-mail: katieapplemack@gmail.com