This work was made at a time I had little to no motivation or inspiration to create due to progressive ill health, the fact the print has made it this far is a miracle.
Technique: Steeping color darkroom photographic paper in a bog for a minimum of a week up to a month on Cavehill (historically often called 'Goddess of Liberty' as per Mary Lowry of Library Ireland - Irish history genealogy & culture resource). The paper is then collected, brought home & developed in the darkroom. If the bog prints did not turn out as hoped, they were ripped up & thrown to the side, keeping only the prints I was happy with. The rejected prints were taken back up to Cavehill & partially buried in a secluded part of the forest, leaving them for 18 months in the end (they were completely forgotten about after a couple months). Upon recalling the rejected buried prints, I returned to collect them expecting to unearth nothing but litter & debris, it was immediately noticeable that the prints had taken on a completely new lease of life now displaying new vibrant colours & textures, not previously visible on the original bog print. The Goddess of Liberty stunning, given an opportunity to creatively express herself in a human way. Little responsibility lies in these hands for its creation.
'Notable Anecdotes': Living on her foothills I have walked Cavehill almost daily, all my life. However, preceding the making of the work I was in rejection, my body was rejecting a donated & transplanted kidney, leaving me rather ill & fatigued, struggling to climb a flight of stairs let alone one of Belfast's hills during the 18 month 'exposure' period (the period during which I had forgotten about them).
Fortunately in January 2025, an incredible person gave me the gift of life & donated their kidney to me, giving me a forgotten sense of energy, good health & an ability to live life. Post transplant recovery I recalled the 'rejected' prints left in the forest & thought best to retrieve them.
"Robinson is a Belfast based contemporary photographer & pring maker. He combines traditional photography, cameraless photography, and first principle darkroom practices as a vehicle to portray the psychological process of identity, healing & growth."