Practicing Landscape 2 - Loch Ossian Fieldwork

‘Practising Landscape 2 - Loch Ossian’ was a practice-led, action-research project undertaken by members of the Reading Landscape Research Group in March 2018 as a continuation of the group's first "practicing landscape" trip which took the group to the Cairngorms, Aberdeen, Helmsdale and Orkney. This second fieldwork component was organised and facilitated by Lesley Punton to enable the group to further engage with planning and developing the groups aims, to further conversation and dialogue around future projects, and to provide a supportive peer network to discuss research areas of interest. The fieldwork methodology incorporated production of visual materials/new work, photography, documentation and further work on conference and exhibition planning. Related to the Research Group’s pre-set key themes, members continued the conversation informally addressing research questions: Q1 How do contemporary art practices engage with (and expand) the theme of Landscape and embodiment? Q2 How can such practices work within the contested terms ‘identity and remoteness’ in relation to specific locations? Q3 What is the role of contemporary art in relation to Ecology and sustainability within the Northern Hemisphere? Q4 Which practical and creative frameworks are needed to develop and sustain interdisciplinary relationships between artists and other experts? Q5 What cross-disciplinary practice-led methodologies might emerge in response to Landscape and physical layering of history? The project’s Primary Objectives on the field trip to Loch Ossian were to: 1) develop and plan the strategy for the group's forthcoming exhibition and conference 2) generate material for further research outputs (where relevant) 3) continue to provide a supportive peer network to share and discuss landscape based practice