Photographer Kerry Mansfield is the Edge of Humanity Magazine contributor of this photo essay. From ‘The Intertidal Project’. To see Kerry’s body of work, click on any image.

THE INTERTIDAL PROJECT delves into how a MEMORY forms when a person is impacted by a place. The unforgettable experience leaves an IMPRINT upon them both. Each ensuing encounter etches a line of memory into a MAP of time like geological STRATA. Growing conscious of the depth of these memories can reveal the unfolding of time. The core principle is that there is a difference between what we see and what we’re aware of.

“MY OBSESSION TO SEE ALL THE TIDAL LEVELS AT ONCE”

The first time I visited Wild Moor Point white water crested the tallest rocks. The second time the water was all but gone. Taking one landscape photograph wasn’t compelling but the drastic expanse in the tidal levels was.
The question arose, how can I express the magnitude of tidal change here all at once? It took 2 years to find the answer and another 2 years to create the Tidal Block picture. Finally, my efforts unveiled a singular day that could never exist allowing me to see the cumulative memories of tidal strata simultaneously.

“EVEN WATER NEEDS A MAP”

I returned to Wild Moor Point forty times over the next four years to manifest The Tidal Block picture. The frames of tidal levels mapped the imprinted memories between the rocks, waves, and me. Fascinated with the accumulation of time I crafted the Tidal Block Strata picture to relay the depth of our experience together.
From the highest crashing water to the hidden subtidal rocks, I could see the tides inhale and exhale with every day we’d shared.

“ONLY 11,000 FRAMES”

Clearly there was no quick, easy way to shoot matching frames for my endeavor, nor an existing method to follow. So, I built one. To align shots capturing over 40 days I implemented a system with a reference photo that mirrored the viewfinder grid. Employing guidelines and foot markers I photographed the spot with the fervor of a long-lost love. Eventually I cataloged over 11,000 frames as each incarnation of rocks and water were revealed.

“THE COLOR OF TIME”

I had created the puzzle pieces but had no idea what the puzzle was supposed to look like. I recalled my childhood introduction to art, a 1950’s accordion fold book, The Art of Japanese Woodblock Printing. The first panel was the landscape outline while each sequential fold was stamped with one carved layer of color until the completed picture materialized at the end. Perfectly illustrating how a composition is formed through the layering process I realized that instead of blocks color I could fill my outline with blocks of time.

“THE TIDAL BLOCK EQUATION”

There had to be a method to the madness, or I could never tackle 40 days of photographs to make one picture. To convey the tidal levels, the rocks were grouped by height. Since it was a rare condition to witness, the tallest rocks would be filled with white water, while constantly exposed areas left empty. The medium sized rocks would be filled or half-filled depicting the constant intertidal zone shift, sometimes hidden, sometimes revealed. The lowest, sub-tidal rocks would be empty since you can rarely see them at all. With the Tidal Block Print equation established, my original goal to see all the tidal levels at once could finally be realized.

THE INTERTIDAL PROJECT PROCESS

To escape the cacophony of city life I fled to Sea Ranch in 2017 and found a uniquely deep bond with its coastline. The greatest gift I’ve ever received was this profound relationship and its exponential growth. Now you can find me one foot from a cliff edge anticipating the next crash or wading through high tide to witness the sun’s evening retreat until I exhale my last breath.
Unbeknownst to me I stumbled backwards into a project that would become my life’s purpose. Throughout its manifestation, I filled notebooks with pictures, inspired thoughts, grand ideas, research, and even pieces of the landscape itself. The process generated piles of binders, spreadsheets, albums, and hundreds of thousands of pictures essential to the heart of Intertidal

All images and text © Kerry Mansfield