All contributors now have special access to a selection of new images, not see by anyone else.
The Last Stand
“Those decaying vestiges of life-and-death human struggle — falling monuments to bellicosity — have a curious attraction to them. The paradoxes are rich. They once showcased unbridled strength and had the prowess to intimidate as they repelled intruders by unrelenting force. This was human power in its rawest form. Now these feeble structures derive their power from something else. With their guns and posts silent, they stand to testify that all things perish. No act of human defiance can possibly win the greatest of all battles of attrition, that of time…It is vitally important historical work.”
My name is Marc Wilson. I have been working as a
photographer for over 15 years and I am currently working on my latest project, The Last Stand.
I have previously exhibited my work throughout the UK and
also in shows abroad in France, Italy and the USA. I have always found myself drawn to the landscape that
surrounds us and our interaction with it.
For the past fifteen months I have been researching, reccieing and starting
to shoot the photographs that will make up The Last Stand, which aims to document some of the physical remnants of war in the 20th
century in the UK and northern Europe. The subjects I am photographing are the
remaining military defence structures situated around their coastal areas.
Why it matters
These man-made objects and zones of defence now sit silently in the
landscape, imbued with the history of our recent past. Some remain proud and strong,
some are gently decaying. Many now lie prone beneath the cliffs where
they once stood. Through the effects of
the passing years, all have become part of the fabric of the changing landscape
that surrounds them.
Whilst I capture the individual beauty of these objects in their landscapes,
the series of photographs become much more than a set of traditional landscapes.
My aim is that the collection will become a permanent photographic record of
the past. A testament to the physical form of the subjects and the histories, stories
and memories contained within.
With each passing year the evidence and memories fade a little more and it
is especially for this reason that I am undertaking this project.
I see each and every landscape as a witness to war with a story to tell, whether it
is one of unfulfilled defiance or one of tragedy.
Locations
This project takes in locations throughout the UK, from Cornwall in the
south west of England to Shetland in the far north of Scotland; and along the northern
coasts of Europe including those of France, Belgium, Germany and Denmark.
I began work on The Last Stand in 2010 and I aim to complete the shooting
during 2012. The images are being shot on large format 5 by 4 colour film.
I recently exhibited
four of the completed images in Brighton and in London and the response to
both the images and the project as a whole was really very positive, prompting
many long discussions with the viewers about the individual locations,
their stories and the importance of the project.
The response
Creative Boom, an online magazine and free network for the creative industries, said of the work:
"A favourite of mine had to be photographer Marc Wilson,
whose collection of landscape photographs were so striking, it would have been
difficult to walk past and not stop.
He kindly chatted to us about some of the techniques used to shoot his latest
project, The Last Stand, which features photos taken in coastal areas around
Europe that have the remains of man-made defences built for wars in the
twentieth century.
The results of this project were haunting images of protruding lumps of stone
and metal from the sea, which sit silently in their natural surroundings.
They'd been shot is such a way that they almost looked painted."
Why the project needs funding
From my research I had approximately 85 sites to visit, reccie and shoot. So far, over the last fifteen months, I have visited 31 locations and completed
10 images out of a final set of between 40 and 50 photographs.
There now remain 29 locations in the UK and approximately 25 on the continent
that I am going to shoot.
With funding I will be able to complete these remaining shots by Spring
2012, culminating in exhibitions and also a book of the work that will be produced on demand, complete, in the case of some of the images, with the stories of the locations.
Budget
So far I have funded the project myself, but to allow me to
complete the shooting of The Last Stand in a realistic timescale I need outside
funding, and this is where you and IndieGoGO can help.
The crowd funding organised by IndieGoGo, (one of the world's largest global funding platforms) where individuals fund a
project through donations, allows artists like myself to create projects that
otherwise would not be possible, or at least would be difficult to complete within the desired time-frame. Of course, such donations do not go unrewarded. As well as contributing to a project that you think is worthwhile, all donations will be rewarded. The rewards can be seen on the right hand side of this
page.
Contributions can be made in full anonymity if you like or you can have just your name or just the amount made public. It is completely up to you.
The funding I am seeking will allow me to complete the
shooting part of the project.
The film, processing and travel costs for the remaining 54
UK and continental European locations is £2650 / $4200.
This is made up of:
£650 for large format film and processing costs
£900 for UK locations (petrol and accomodation)
£1050 for the continental locations (ferries, petrol, and accomodation)
Of course, I sleep and eat as budget-consciously as possible
on these trips!
If I can achieve my funding goal of £2650 this will allow me
to reach the stage of completing all the shooting for the project, but of course any amount up
to that figure will help towards it.
Any amount raised over the funding goal will then go towards
the final production of the project (scanning, exhibiting, book production) but
I aim to fund this final production myself.
The final production of the body of work (scanning and c-type photographic printing) will be produced with the support of Spectrum Photographic in Brighton.
Transparency
Every single pound donated goes towards the completion of the project.
As a contributor you want to know where your money is going, and that it is all going to the project.
All donations go through paypal into a bank account that is currently being used only for this project.
Therefore if you wished I could arrange for you to see the income / expenditure of all contributions.
Share
As well as funding The Last Stand you can also help enormously by spreading the word.
You can use the simple share tools just under the video to make it a quick and easy process, by email, tweet and many other options.
And of course I will keep you updated on the progress of the project here on this website, by email and on my blog.
Thank you so much for your interest in this project and I do hope that, like me, you can see why this is a body of work that needs to be completed.
More information on The Last Stand may be also seen on my website at www.marcwilson.co.uk and also on its own blog.
More of my work and my bio, including previous exhibitions, can be seen on my website.
Donating / Contributing
Even though the donations are shown in US dollars it is just as easy too make donations from the UK or any other country using Paypal or directly with your debit or credit card.
If you want to use Paypal you can pay as a 'guest' on Paypal so there is no need to have or open an account with them.
Simply follow the 'Contribute now' steps to make your donation and during the Paypal payment process you will see the amount in your own currency so you know exactly how much you are donating.
FAQ for contributors as supplied by the kind people at IndieGoGo
How much information do I share when making a contribution?
You can make an anonymous contribution. Only the person running the campaign and campaign editors can view your name and contribution details. You may need to enter your mailing address if you redeem a perk or for your payment via credit card.
What happens after I contribute to a campaign?
The person running the campaign will contact you regarding updates to the campaign and how to fulfill your perk. You will also receive a confirmation email.
Are contributions final?
Yes.
I want to start receiving a campaign's updates before I fund it, how do I do that?
Go to the campaign, and in the share tool box click on the heart icon. This will add the campaign to your favorites and you will automatically receive updates.
Where does the money go if the funding goal isn't reached?
Campaign owners keep all the money they raise, even if their goal isn't reached. Their funding plan is likely outlined on their campaign profile. If you are unclear how funds will be used, you can contact the campaign administrator directly by sending a private comment via the Comments tab on their campaign page.
I don't want to contribute to a campaign using PayPal, but it's the only option I am given. Can I still contribute?
Yes. You can pay with your credit card as a Guest on PayPal (no PayPal account required!). After you click "Contribute" on the campaign, you'll be taken to a PayPal screen. At the top, you will see "Choose a Way To Pay." Click on "Pay with a credit or debit card." Uncheck the box that says "Save this information with a PayPal account. It's easy and free to sign up. Learn more about PayPal." Then proceed to pay as Guest with your credit card.
