Declan Connolly- Views of a Mountain

‘Views of a Mountain’ is an exploration of the corruption of memory through fantasy and focuses on the intimacy with a personal and emotionally loaded environment. It is this intimate connection to a space and memories of the mountain that influence the conceptual framework for the project. The choice of landscape that features in the series is the Snowdon of my youth; the mountain in winter is cloaked in white and often hidden in cloud- this is when I climbed its face most often and therefore my memories and thus fantasies of this mountain are eternally shrouded in white, a snow covered, towering force lurching out of the landscape of my childhood. As time passes, memories can become dramatic, fictitious versions of the initial subject, becoming altogether more interesting the more they are analysed. The work presented visually depicts the physical makeup of Snowdon and echoes its form but what is documented does not necessarily exist- ‘Views of a Mountain’ is made up of these dream- inspired views.

Each mountain is a small piece of the oldest mineral existing on and making up Snowdon's structure. The four hundred and fifty million year-old quartz is collected from the mountain's peak before being brought back down and carved to resemble Snowdon's image. The sculpture that now becomes an icon of the fantasy is then photographed where it was originally collected on the summit and left in situ; once again forming part of Snowdon itself.

'Views of a Mountain' is made up of two parts. Eight images that encapsulate the fantasy mountain form part one. Part two is a printed field journal of sorts documenting and questioning the physical 'real' of Snowdon's landscape.

Instagram: @declansconnolly