/04 Traces

Paola Leonardi

Undrawn Hours

“Undrawn Hours” was created at NES Artist Residency in Skagastrond, northen Iceland, during February-March 2010; it presents a photographic exploration of the remote Skagi peninsula.

Scourged by winter storms and drained by the economic recession, this area is littered with abandoned farms and unused summer cabins, broken sheds and decommissioned boats, a stark reminder of the depopulation and decay of local farming and fishing industry. Leonardi uses the photographic medium to trace the human imprint on the territory, a lyrical depiction of the shift in human geography that has lead to the abandonment of the countryside and decline of manual industry. The harsh weather made human encounters rare and the structures that remain have become relics abandoned in a sea of hay and ice, reminders of a past human presence.

This series was supported by the Arts Council England

www.leonardiphoto.com