Stone Age to Corinium
The Corinium Museum in Cirencester has installed a £1.87 Million project that opens up the archaeology of the Cotswolds with the aid of the Heritage Lottery fund.
I got involved some years prior to its launch with the aim of providing the photographic works required for the cabinet backdrops. The images were going to have to be large, highly detailed and showcasing suitable content to support and compliment the archeological items shown within. Planning and preparation were key in this project, I knew roughly what subjects matters I had to capture but the important bit was getting the right time of year and the right light.
I had to find subjects and locations that suitably represented the Palaeolithic/Mesolithic period, Neolithic period, Bronze Age, Iron Age and Early Roman. From this I worked with the installation team to develop ideas and shoot various locations to test their suitability for the desired installation designs.
In all it took around a year to a year and half of shooting at various times of year to settle on a set of images that would work independently in their glass cabinets alongside the artefacts within. Occasionally we had to change a location and try another for its suitability, the aim was to strive for perfection, if a location wasn’t quite working for whatever reason we had to take it back to the drawing board. Ultimately we managed it, through persistent development and trial and error we created a very strong set of images.
This project presented a number challenges, challenges that were a fantastic learning experience from a technical stand point. In a world that is increasingly centred about digital media and projection it is far more rare now to have your work ready for print purposes. In this instance not just print ready but suitable for a large scale print and for it to be composed right in the first instance that will fit the design laid down by the exhibition design team. This project brought together strong communication and development skills alongside technical skillsets and tenacity to form a superb exhibition that will endure for many years. Hopefully being a superb learning experience for school children and adults alike.
