shashasha

How should we live on this planet? Can we lead fulfilling lives whilst sustaining the environment on which we depend for our wellbeing and sustenance? In a world increasingly dedicated to material consumption, driven by a sense of entitlement to exploit nature without limit, these questions have become critical. Settlements is a photographic record of a small number of communities and individuals, based in Britain, who are quietly building and exploring alternative land-based, low impact ways of living, that address these issues and dilemmas. Taken between 2004 and 2015, the photographs chart a period in their evolution and growth seen through their homes, infrastructure and community portraits. They are accompanied by introductions written by the communities, and texts by the author that explore connected historical and contemporary issues. Together they reveal a way of life that challenges the mainstream, suggesting different narratives for the future and contributing to our collective imagination.