Michael Radford

“Tree hugger.”

- Fun Fact about Michael

Artist statement

My photographs depict the suburban landscape of southern Massachusetts, looking at pockets of land that run between highways, tract homes, and shopping centers. The photographs refer to a tradition of idealized landscapes, but these photographs are set among highly developed and often decrepit environments. The images are a testament to the tenacity of natural beauty but they are also a mourning for the loss of a more expansive, wild landscape in New England.

I photograph throughout the changing seasons as lush green leaves change to bare trees and snow. I work early in the morning and later in the day, using long shadows and intense light to enhance the sense of sublime found within the familiar New England landscape. The light I use draws attention to the interconnection between the small ecosystems of trees and plants and the larger rhythms that encompass the planet. The landscapes I photograph are bounded by highly controlled human developments, but the landscapes themselves are small glimpses into larger cycles that are within the world, and that remain out of the realm of humanity’s control.

As I take my photos I often find myself lost in natural landscapes adjacent to the busy commercial and industrial world. Ducking trees and drowning my boots in flooded wetlands I become engulfed in a world that almost feels like it could be miles away, remaining grounded with the presence of civilization nearby vocalizing itself. The constant hum of cars passing by on the freeway can almost never be abandoned. I represent this inescapable presence in my photographs with an intended subtlety and delicateness. I want this presence to be felt but not to overwhelm or overpower. In the photographs, the human presence is put into perspective; I hope to convey the insignificance of humanity in the long scope of time.

This project holds its influence by traditional landscape photography pioneered by artists such as Carleton Watkins, and Ansel Adams. I used the visual language they created to convey a grand Western landscape and applied it to small ecosystems in New England. I am also inspired by the work of contemporary figures such as Richard Misrach, Edward Burtunsky, Laura McPhee, and Robert Adams whose work describes the complexities of industry and development in the natural world. Photography has the power like no other form of art to capture in detail moments of time, showing the ugly and the sublime. This way of capturing the world plays a major role in my project by portraying a real depiction of the world we live in but might not notice. In a world full of deep fakes and a growing AI presence, this work remains grounded within the real world and shaped by my experience of making these photographs. For each photograph, I can tell you the story of how I got to the location, the moments I fell in the water, the dampness from standing in the snow or the rain, the cold I felt while waiting for the sun to reach the right angle, or the feeling of my frozen boots on the hard icy ground. These experiences inform each photograph. They ground the images within the challenges of the tangible world, making the sense of sometimes real beauty all the more poignant.

I hope that one will look at these images and find a new way of looking at the natural spaces that they pass on the highway, or that reside behind their office building, or even their backyard and maintain a new appreciation for it. These spaces are still a part of our world and hold complex life and wonder as much as any idealized landscape. These are the remnants of the natural world that we need to survive and all living things rely on.

Biography

Wrentham, MA

Michael Radford is a Boston-based photographer shooting primarily landscapes within the New England region. From the white mountains to the suburban forests, he often focuses on the human relationship with the natural world, placing humans within the context of the planet we live on.