This post will be focusing on understanding the idea of Urban Wildness. Particularly using pictures to explore the various aspects of the topics. Each of the images chosen were picked for the message rather than the particular skill involved with the images. Spanning across several years, and several dimensions of practice, it illustrates the interest across both time and location.
The City in Nature
While this image fails to capture on a spectacular level, the image itself speaks as a homage to the idea of City in Nature. To me, the complete encapsulation of the city within both the surrounding hillside and bank illustrates the idea of the complete marriage of nature and city. The spanning of the bridge operates as an imposition on the environment, while the reflection implies a conversation back. To remove an aspect of the cityscape at this comparatively macro scale would carve away from what is currently considered a nature walk and popular destination within Knoxville. This image speaks at a moment of everyday life, that anyone within the city system can experience.
Nature in the City
Along a Boulevard focuses on exploring the idea of Nature in the city. The juxtaposition between the carefully trimmed hedges and the haphazard exploration of the crawling vines fascinated me. The adaptation of the greenery to the environment, and the careful blend is an interesting exploration of the nature of greenery. Truthfully, the careful cultivation shows more the nature of controllable influences, and the expression of human over nature. I spent a long time choosing this photograph, as I pondered carefully over the images of designed parks and infrastructures. However, in the end, the untamed elegance and the expression of power led to the selection of this photograph.
The City as Nature
For the final picture, the expression of the idea of the city as Nature interested me on a micro scale. In particular, the impositions of human over the natural environment and the acceptance of that environment as natural. While the barbwire and strategically placed rocks are clearly no more natural than the built bridge and cityscape in the background, it is the materials as well as the acceptance of the fauna that pairs with the scenic riverscape for a natural reading. This careful arrangement of the built environment parodies nature and invites it in. This was the intentions my photography at that moment was attempting to convey and capture that emotion.
