© April Mountfort

St Anna Series                                                                                 
My “St Anna” series is created from images shot in 2008 on location at the beautiful historic site of Sant’ Anna in Camprena, a former Olivetan Benedictine monastery from in the 15^th century. Sant Anna is located in Tuscany, just 6 kilometers out of Penza: see http://www.camprena.it/ .  I stayed within the monastery and became entranced with a feeling for the lives and events I imagined had played out at this location over the centuries.
As I became more familiar with and photographed details of the monastery and its surroundings, I became convinced some aspect of past lives and loves must remain within, not in a physical way but in a spiritual or existential sense. This conviction was enhanced upon being informed that scenes from the film “The English Patient” had been shot at Sant Anna.
In my “St Anna” works I have attempted to convey a secretive, existential and romantic emotion.
All works are created from at least 2, often more, images blended together. They all contain images of either shadows, silhouettes or outlines of a person in order to evoke a “past lives” feeling. There is also often items individual to Tuscany (such as the Cypress trees) or some aspect of the monastery.

Landscape Series
With my landscape work I have sought to be suggestive and convey the essence or atmosphere of the location rather than as seen by the eye. I am more interested in soft watery colour than hard form.
In deciding what landscapes to photograph I look for possibly something in the weather or a distant, isolated, wild location. I hope my work might remind the viewer of feelings they carried at the same or similar locations.
In order to loose any concrete feeling I often over expose the shot and move the camera or use a soft focus.

Opening the Tuesday 10 of May, 6-8pm