17 October 2005
Rooted in Place
Dartmoor’s ancient woodlands are one of the area’s richest habitats, supporting many important species, some extremely rare and found only on Dartmoor. They are places where fascinating archaeological remains can be found and they add significantly to the quality of the Dartmoor landscape and to the lives of those who experience their tranquil beauty.
To celebrate these special places Dartmoor National Park Authority is hosting a stunning new exhibition, Rooted in Place, which opens on Friday 21 October 2005 at the High Moorland Visitor Centre, Princetown, and features the work of Chris Smith and Kim Aplin, two west country based photographers.
The oak woodlands of Dartmoor have been a recurring theme over the years for Ashburton based photographer Chris Smith. Chris specialises in landscape, nature and environmental issues photography. All of Chris’s previous exhibitions have been of monochrome images, but for this exhibition, Chris has chosen to present his work in colour, in order to try and portray the intensely vibrant, green, vitality of nature, that he experiences in Dartmoor’s oak woodlands.
Kim Aplin produces stunning black and white images of his experiences in wild places. He has travelled extensively in National Parks both in this country and abroad and visited Dartmoor National Park on a number of occasions, during the winter months of 2003 and 2004, when the landscape is quieter and the trees are bare. Rather than concentrate upon a pure depiction of the nature of trees in these places, he explores the unique single viewpoint of the camera at the time of exposure, therefore being ‘rooted in place’.
Visitors to the exhibition can also discover some of the positive work being carried out by the Dartmoor National Park Authority to help conserve and enhance the quality and wildlife interest of woods in the landscape and ensure the long-term stability, health and renewal of broadleaved woodland on Dartmoor.
The exhibition runs from 21 October to the 7 December 2005. The High Moorland Visitor Centre, Princetown, is open seven days a week, 10 am – 5 pm, until Monday 31 October. After that date the Centre will open seven days a week, 10 am – 4 pm.
Dartmoor National Park Authority’s Postbridge Information Centre continues to host the popular Spirit of the Pony exhibition, celebrating the ponies on Dartmoor, the contribution they make to the cultural heritage of the area, and the enjoyment they give to local residents and to the millions that visit Dartmoor National Park each year.
Postbridge Information Centre opens 10 am – 5 pm, seven days a week, until Monday 31 October; after date that the Centre will open at weekends only, 10am – 4 pm, through to the New Year.
The Spirit of the Pony exhibition can also be viewed online at www.dartmoor-npa.gov.uk, click on ‘Factsheets and Leaflets’ and scroll down.
Other major National Park Authority exhibitions, including the exciting new exhibition, Rangers, as well as Dartmoor Crafts, Dartmoor Rock and Dartmoor on your Table, can also be viewed online.
Ends
For Further Information
Kim Aplin MA, Photographer
Tel: (01225) 852668
Chris Smith, Photographer
Tel: (01364) 652742
Mike Nendick, Communications Officer, Dartmoor National Park Authority.
Tel: (01626) 832093
Agendas for full Dartmoor National Park Authority meetings and Dartmoor National Park Authority planning meetings are now available on the Authority's website
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Notes for Editors
Kim Aplin graduated with a MA degree in Photography in 1999 and works exclusively in black and white, with traditional film, from the landscape, exploring our notions and reflections of wildness. Kim is 53 and lives in Wiltshire with his family.
Chris Smith lives in Ashburton with his wife and two children. He is a freelance photographer and teaches photography, part time, at Plymouth College of Art and Design. He works in both monochrome and colour, with the majority of his work relating to the landscape, environmental issues and the human experience of nature.
Exhibitions at the High Moorland Visitor Centre, Princetown, 2005/06
Wild Dartmoor - Exhibition of Dartmoor wildlife paintings by regional artists. 9 December – 18 Jan 06
Four Seasons - An exhibition by regional photographers. 20 January 06 – 5 March 06
National Parks cover 10% of the land area of England, Wales and Scotland. They are of special value to the whole nation because of their great beauty, their wildlife and cultural interests and the opportunities they offer for quiet enjoyment. However, they are not nationally owned - the land is in the hands of many landowners or occupiers including farmers. Over 33,000 people live inside the Dartmoor National Park and many millions of visits are made to it each year.
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This page last updated 17 October 2005
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