A professor from Cyprus, at Frederick University
Contested Landscapes
Landscape and Power- “to change the term ‘landscape’ from a noun to a verb” “Connect between the past and present”
Colonial photography archive- contains many historical images from Cyprus- The first photographic collection of the island – Cyprus
Landscape and identityJohn Thompson 1878- Oriental photographs of Cyprus- it was thought that this was the first photograph of Cyprus· In 1928 the National Geographic sent Maynard Owen Williams to photograph parts of Cyprus; naming the collection ‘Unspoiled Cyprus’
Jean & Frank Shor ‘Cyprus An Idyllic Island in A Troubled Sea 1952- National Geographic
Cyprus postcards- A portrayal of the island in ways that tourists would view it; beautiful beaches, palm trees, historical monuments “Naive beautiful landscape”
Cyprus tourism organization (commissioned photography)
“How landscape photography portrays a place to be”
‘Where are you going young man, handsome like a legend’ (2017) - “In this new series Kallinikou continues his research into the politics of the landscape”
Kallinikou’s series, goes between displaying images of caves and landscapes
“Sharqi- Arabic for Sirocco- is an exhibition and a book that consists of 27 Polaroid photographs of Cypriot landscapes, which have been produced over a period of three years. The photographs show aspects of a Cypriot landscape that has been visually silenced: a dry, arid landscape, almost post-apocalyptic, filled with cactuses, reptiles, palm trees, red lakes, but also with man made industrial and mining remnants, as well as decorative artefacts like fake moufflons, eagles.”- a completely different ‘feel’ of Cyprus
Nicolas’s work- Towards an Eastern Landfall (2016- ongoing)- “is an ongoing study of the Cypriot cultural landscape. The project documents the suburban and rural peripheral landscape od the island, in investigating the complex issues of land, landscape and location in relation to themes of space, nature, ownership, usage and value.”
Nicolas focuses on aspects including: “Military remnants, objects, natural spaces, elements with in the landscape that are an object or a part of the landscape, like an artefact.”
Charalambos Artemis- ‘Islandistening’- In this series of photographs, Charalambos Artemis throws into sharp relief the complicated and unnerving relationship between surveillance and the Cypriot landscape. As such, Islandlistening centres around the vast amounts of data collection, espionage, and information gathering that occurs in Cyprus.”
Stereotypical- British people are being sold the idea of getting married in Cyprus; that it is hot, beautiful views, however, it is still a place with its own issues, including political. The vast number of images on the internet showing the ‘beauty’ of Cyprus are because of mainstream internet sources, including google images, social media and companies, including travel agents.
We see all these images, of history and landscapes, but have we thought about questioning this ‘knowledge’, whether it is true or is something that has been formed as a stereotypical view of Cyprus.
Cyprus has been very commercialised
“What does photography do? What is the power of photography?”
What is the reasoning behind using such ‘idyllic’ images to portray Cyprus, why are not more natural images being used to represent Cyprus.
