The very special Ffotogaleri y Gofeb in Machynlleth played host to photographer James Morris on Saturday 14 September for a talk about the work he produced for his Time and Remains project on Palestine and some of the issues it raised for his photographic practice.
James was joined in conversation by writer and poet Damian Gorman, who also discussed his own work where he has tried to test if (and how) the written word, especially poetry, might have anything to offer at all in situations of real ongoing violence and civil unrest.
Photographer James Morris speaking in Machynlleth. Image © Brian Carroll
“The origins of these photographs lie in a pine forest, walked through at the start of my first visit to Israel when I came across the unexplained crumbling walls of seemingly ancient structures, a small stream running by . . . a plaque announced it as “an oasis,” “a recreation area, a place of water, of hope, of peace, of vision.” Later that day I found a film online depicting a recent visit to the same location by Israeli Palestinian citizens. Elderly men recalled that as children those remains had been their village, the terraces their fields, the water their spring; they had been made internal refugees by the 1948 war during what they called their ‘Nakba’; their village flattened, their right of return refused, a planned forest of imported pines veiling their former world. Such divergent interpretations of place were a potent introduction to the dislocation in their land.”
Listen to the talk and audience Q&A below. Many thanks to James and Damian for allowing Ffoton to record their discussion.
James’ work was exhibited in Ffotogaleri y Gofeb as Time and Remains of Palestine - a selection of work conceived by the photographer during a period of time he spent in Israel and Palestine, and was open to the public (free) from 11 June until 5 October 2019.
You can find out more about the latest Ffotogaleri y Gofeb events and exhibitions via their website:
www.ffotogaleriygofeb.co.uk
