OPEN Eco: Mark O'Halleron, Fittleworth, Still Waters, 149 Spills, 2693 Hours, 2022
Mark O'Halleron works in the fields of lens-based photography and alternative processes. In the last 18 months there has been a distinct shift to issues concerning the environment and our impact on it, as illustrated by his recent Still Waters project which investigates the disposal of raw sewage.
Mark says: "The scale of the climate crisis has been writ large by numbers and words that are, at times, hard to comprehend or decipher, and while a picture may paint what words cannot, imagery too can fall short in delivering the whole message, a message which can equal awareness and change. My submission combines both text and image to directly highlight the issue of raw sewage disposal in our rivers and seas. It does this by juxtaposing location photographs of CSO (Combined Sewer Overflow) pipes alongside spill data, revealing the extent to which these places have been tainted."
A recent MA Photography graduate from Falmouth University, Mark's practice encompasses both lens-based and alternative processes. Regardless, at its heart is the environment and the landscapes that we inhabit, be it the emotions we experience when we are among these spaces or the direct effect we have on them.
Photo Fringe invited artists to propose a single image to engage audiences and help us imagine a greener, fairer world. Artists were asked to respond to the question “How can photography make a difference to the climate crisis?"
The resulting outdoor exhibition of selected images by twenty artists can be found on Worthing seafront until the end of April 2023.
Sponsored by Metro Imaging Ltd with funding from Arts Council England National Lottery Project Fund and Worthing Borough Council.