Hind Land is a collaboration between photographers Nick Rochowski and Tim Bowditch, surveying the pedestrian walkways beneath London’s Orbital M25 motorway.
Since it’s completion 25 years ago the M25 has dramatically changed the landscape of the surrounding area and come to define the boundary of the city.
Utilising online mapping tools to locate points at which one can pass underneath the motorway by foot, we are fascinated by the voids left by the motorway as it carves through the landscape. The road divides the countryside in two, leaving a visible and audible rip in the environment above the ground, and a no-man’s land beneath.
Together we aim to survey these voids at night, using an Achromatic Digital Back capable of creating wide spectrum black and white images. This kind of technology is often used for aerial surveillance, as it is able to record the visible as well as the infrared and ultraviolet parts of the spectrum. By photographing at night we give the camera a completely blank canvas, devoid of contrast. Due to the way light is recorded with such technology, hidden details become apparent and the landscape appears almost lunar in quality.
Currently half way through the project, our survey will continue in a similar manner, photographing the voids we have located. The aim is to exhibit the work on a large scale, emphasising the intricate detail and creating a fully immersive experience for the viewer.
Nick Rochowski (b.1981 High Wycombe, Bucks) is a London based photographer. He studied at the London College of Printing between 2000 and 2004. Alongside his fine art practice he shoots commissions for clients across the architectural and design spectrums, cultural institutions and creative agencies. In 2011 he established Rokov Publishing, an independent creative platform for collaborative output.
☞ www.rochowski.net
Tim Bowditch (b.1986 Guernsey, Channel Islands) graduated from the University of Portsmouth in 2008 with a BA Hons Degree is Photography. He lives and works in London as a photographer and filmmaker.
☞ www.timbowditch.com
