‘Rock Pile of Summer Dwelling’ is a book and ongoing project by James John Midwinter which visually considers concepts of love in all its facets. Through a rich narrative, interwoven with elements of intimacy and mundanity, he examines how certain forms, feelings and structures become so much more significant when viewed comparatively. 

The photographs were taken over time at one location in Cornwall and they document the artists’ ongoing gravitation towards contrasts - both visual and metaphorical - as they weave together an intimate study of contentment, connection and the figure in the landscape

This is a love letter to this person and these places, but on a deeper level the work explores the more existential elements of life and human relationships and a nuanced balance of all the associated emotions. They reflect a sense of calm contemplation in a life which can so often rush towards confusion and darkness. 

“I wanted to represent the joy within a relationship, but also the challenge, the mystery, the effort and the work, which all bring rewards that are often unexpected, like a new way of seeing the world.”

Intricate details and inconsequential moments are considered in a deeper and more analytical way, which gives them space to become the focal point; celebrated for their simplicity and significance. 

Recurring motifs and echoed forms explore themes of strength, fragility, lightness and shadow, reflecting the literal experience of being in these spaces and more profoundly they present a new way of seeing the world and a relationship. 

“I try to avoid making work that is idealised or romantic, but those feelings are valid elements of a relationship, so I did want to include them, but perhaps with less prominence. I tried to contrast them with the everyday, the small, perhaps mundane and overlooked moments we share with another, represented by the position of a stone to a tideline, a buoy nestled between two slabs of rock, the darkness within caves. The little things that receive the least, but maybe deserve the most prestige.”