At The Edge Of Permanence by Gill Moon | My Photo Bookshelf
The Edge of Permanence is a photobook by Gill Moon, featuring a range of pictures from a week-long photographic study of Coigach, a peninsula in the Northwest Highlands of Scotland. Gill is a landscape photographer and author based in Suffolk, England. I’ve followed Gill’s work for quite some time and was pleased to be able to buy number 5 of this limited run of 50 photography books.
Author’s synopsis
Nothing in life or the landscape is permanent.
We live life in moments, ephemeral and transitory, happy and sad, difficult and rewarding. The same is true of the landscape – it changes all the time.
But there are locations that have a durability about them that makes them feel unchangeable and permanent. Coigach in the North West Highlands of Scotland is one such place.
Coigach lies about 20 miles north of Ullapool in the North West Highlands Geopark. The landscapes within the park contain some of the oldest rocks (3 billion years old) and some of the earliest evidence of life found anywhere in Europe.
But on a more local level the area is made up of habitats and wild places that are transient and vulnerable and which change on a daily basis. Set against the seemingly permanent mountains of Assynt This project explores life in the liminal zones. Those ever changing realms where no moments are the same.
Although I have been to Coigach several times, in both summer and winter, I felt it was important for the images to represent as short a time frame as possible. For me this gives the most intense feeling of change. All the images in this project were taken during the course of one week in June 2022. They come together to form my observations of an amazing place.
My thoughts about the book
One of the many things I like about Gill’s work is how varied her work can be, from wide, uncluttered coastal vistas to smaller, intimate scenes and this book is a great example of that. For me, it’s the varied body of work that sets this book apart as a photographic study rather than just a book of pretty photos. Not only has Gill photographed those epic landscapes which would draw the attention of most of us, but she has also looked much deeper into the landscape, isolating some of the unique subjects and textures one could easily overlook. Regardless of the subject, all the photos have what I consider to be Gill’s distinctive style, from carefully composed, uncluttered compositions to high quality and consistent post-production.
The book itself is well presented, with thoughtful image sequencing throughout. The subjects and tones across the various page spreads complement each other well and the flow throughout the book feels smooth and deliberate. The weighty, matt paper suits the work well and feels appropriately tactile while thumbing through the pages.
Gill also includes seven or eight poems in her book, each written to accompany the photo on the opposing page. I’ll assume Gill wrote these as I didn’t see anyone else credited. I’m no poem connoisseur but I know what I like, and I like that these poems were included. Not only did I enjoy reading them as they helped me connect further with the work, but their inclusion provided a nice opportunity to pause to consider the work.
I very much enjoyed reading this book and love the photos Gill has included. If there happens to be any left at the time of reading, do consider popping over to Gill’s website to buy yourself a copy.
Book Details
Hardcover
Pages: 80 pages printed on 200gsm matt paper
Availability at the time of writing: In stock and available from Gill Moon’s website here: https://gillmoon.com/product/at-the-edge-of-permanence