INTENTION​

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"Peppermint Sea Salt" is a self-published photography zine meticulously curated, showcasing a compendium of captivating images that chronicle solitary day excursions along the scenic eastern shores of Scotland and England. The photographic journey encompasses picturesque locales such as Montrose, St. Andrews, Aberdour, Edinburgh, North Berwick, Berwick-upon-Tweed, Newcastle, Saltburn-by-the-Sea, and Whitby. Each frame is meticulously captured on analog film, preserving the timeless charm of fishing villages, bustling ports, verdant parks, storied piers, secluded islands, and serene beaches. These picturesque destinations were thoughtfully chosen for their accessibility via public transportation or on foot.

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Within the pages of this inaugural volume, the lens gracefully oscillates between capturing the pristine beauty of landscapes and the nuanced essence of individuals encountered on these sojourns. "Peppermint Sea Salt" serves as the nascent chapter in an ongoing research expedition, dedicated to unraveling the multifaceted evolution of the British coastline, an exploration poised to unveil myriad facets of this ever-changing and dynamic realm.

RESEARCH TOPIC

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Solo travel has long constituted an integral facet of my professional endeavors. It was during one of these solitary sojourns that I delved into the pages of Italo Calvino's masterful opus, "Invisible Cities," a work that had been invoked during my external critiques. This literary gem unfolds as a fictitious discourse between the veritable historical figures, Marco Polo, the Venetian merchant-adventurer, and Kublai Khan, the illustrious emperor of the Mongol Empire. Marco's odyssey traverses the empire's expanse, culminating in the narration of 55 utterly fictitious cities, each meticulously conjured from the recesses of his imagination.

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Yet, even as these travels remain confined to the realm of his mind, "Invisible Cities" astutely explores the profound impact of wanderlust and the embrace of novel experiences upon an individual's perception of the world. It posits a profound insight, suggesting that one's perspective on their surroundings is inherently subjective and singular, shaped entirely by the tapestry of memories, personal vantage, and accumulated life experiences.

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In this narrative tapestry, every facet, from entire cities to the minutiae of objects, derives its existence from the crucible of memory. Wherever one may venture, they are inexorably accompanied by the specters of their past, bearing witness to the choices and narratives that have sculpted their journey through time.

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Remarkably, certain cities within this literary universe metamorphose in response to the prism of recollection. Take, for instance, the city of Zirma, a place etched into existence through the ceaseless repetition of its memories within the minds of its denizens. In Procopia, Marco regales an extraordinary account of a hotel room housing no fewer than 26 iterations of himself—an embodiment, presumably, of every version of his being that had previously graced that space. Procopia's idiosyncrasy lies in its ability to breathe life into an individual's former selves, thereby compelling any traveler revisiting familiar haunts to confront and reconcile with the echoes of who they once were. In essence, a person's encounter with a place is perpetually mediated by their recollection of both that place and their own prior presence therein.

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The novel further intimates that an individual's memories are subject to evolution as they engage with others. Euphemia, for instance, is a city where travelers partake in the communal sharing of personal narratives. Yet, upon departing Euphemia's embrace, they discover that their personal reminiscences of past events and experiences have undergone transmutation, influenced by the stories gleaned from their fellow wayfarers on the same subject. This serves as a poignant reminder that memory, in its entirety, remains an inherently subjective and exceedingly mutable construct. In sum, memory proves to be an astonishingly unreliable custodian of experience, for almost any encounter can catalyze a metamorphosis in one's recollections.

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In the wake of this profound literary odyssey, I found myself compelled to center my forthcoming zine on the contours of my own perceptual lens and how, through the prism of my photographic documentation, this perspective is perpetually imbued and accentuated by the kaleidoscope of my memories, unique vantage point, and rich tapestry of personal experiences.