Ritual Indication, Nesscliffe, Shropshire, England 1974

Editor: This gelatin silver print is "Ritual Indication, Nesscliffe, Shropshire, England" by Thomas Joshua Cooper, taken in 1974. It's a very dense image, all craggy rocks and trees, mostly dark shades. The patterns feel abstract but also... maybe a little haunted? What do you see in this piece? Curator: Haunted, eh? I like that. It's interesting you say that, because when I look at this work, I don't immediately see a landscape, even though, geographically, that’s what it is. Cooper traveled to the extreme geographical points of the Atlantic, from the Arctic to the Antarctic, making these very considered images with an old large format camera. For him, I suspect it's more about the journey itself, that ritual you mention, the "indication" of a place imbued with meaning and memory. Do you see any faces in the shadows? Editor: Now that you mention it, I do! There’s almost a face looking out from the left side of the rock. So you're saying the process, the pilgrimage, is more the focus than the final image? Curator: Precisely. These places aren't just locations, they are anchors to experiences, moments felt acutely. And consider the monochrome – does it not lend a timelessness? He's reaching for something beyond the visual, a whisper of something felt, not just seen. It's a photograph but feels deeply... emotional. It also makes me think, is he indicating the ritual or creating one? Editor: That's a great question! It definitely makes you think about how much intention a photographer brings to a seemingly straightforward landscape. Curator: Yes. Each print holds a journey and an experience...almost like a reliquary, a photograph becomes a sacred artifact. Thank you, this made me appreciate how important it is to pause, see the familiar world with curious and open eyes. Editor: Thanks, I will never see the world the same now!