For centuries developed societies have been territorial, not only marking boundaries between each other but also between themselves and nature. In rural areas these boundaries, as well as marking areas of human jurisdiction, are often a means of both defense and of containment -- a physical manifestation of a perspective which views man as separate from nature, as a shaper of the landscape rather than a part of it.
This group of photographs focuses on rural boundaries in Wales, where the ancient British practice of planting live hedgerows exists beside the more contemporary technique of wood and wire fencing. The hedgerows, while protecting land and containing livestock, also provide a sustainable habitat and vital ecosystem for a variety of flora and fauna, as well as acting as a essential catch for storm water topsoil run-off. Contrary to this ancient practice is the more modern form of marking territory, as is found in the United States, of using metal, dead wood, and even electronic fences in order to divide property, contain livestock, and separate the wild from the domestic.
For me, these borders, boundaries, and divides are a powerful visual metaphor for our current societal relationship with the natural, and represent the different ideological approaches toward a sustainable future.
