Ruby Henshall

Re-wild

Historically the definition of nature has been considered to be wilderness that is pristine and untouched by man. However, since the beginning of our species nature has felt our presence. Constantly negating our every move, adapting to the force of the Anthropocene era. Held captive, Nature is trapped in a paradox where we constantly try to manipulate and re wind it to represent the wild nature of pre-European times. But how would we know? If we look, nature is silently redefining what it means to be wild as it shifts to essentially become re-wild Re-wild, this photographic series of images that I made in 2016-17, realises my appreciation and connection with the natural world that stems from a childhood heavily conditioned by my experiences in nature. To pay homage to the forgotten nature of the Anthropocene era, I consider how its definition is shifting in both reality, our minds and the future. In Re-wild I focus on the physical state of nature in a post human world. Through the use of real places tainted by our existence, this series exhibits the true form of nature to demonstrate how it is an entity determined to thrive. The series serves as a conduit between the viewer’s reality and the reality of nature, to negotiate its ability to exist beyond how we treat or define it.