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This project documents the lack of biodiversity in the British Isles and acts as a support document for A Tinge of Wilderness, a textile piece made using imagery of the British fieldscape. The work features screen-grabs from Google maps of fields all over England, Scotland, Wales & Northern Ireland - a visual collection which speaks to the UK’s shift from ecological biodiversity to agriculture which has resulted in a topography that resembles a patchwork quilt. In fact, to include British national parks in the global tier system, an extra two had to be created due to our lack of biodiversity.

By contrast, on the inner folds of the publication is sourced imagery of more idyllic landscapes, brimming with flora and fauna. An interpersonal relationship with the viewer is created through the bind, which is tangible and playful, and the glyph font Colour Dot records the name of each location but needs to be decoded using the publication. This interaction awakens a new sensibility in the viewer. Patchwork Britain not only modernises the archaic British quilt, but calls out our apathy and encourages viewers to wake up to the facts; our quintessential British landscape, intensely farmed and cultivated, might not be as idyllic as we think.

Photography: www.rhiannonbowden.com