- THE ISLAND -
“For all the different forms it takes in different historical periods, for all the worthy and unworthy motives that lie behind it, exploration—travel for the sake of discovery and adventure—is it seems a human compulsion, a human obsession even (as the paleontologist Maeve Leakey says); it is a defining element of a distinctly human identity, and it will never rest at any frontier, whether terrestrial or
extra-terrestrial.”
For this project I wanted to play on a prevailing and consistent element of human nature; an insatiable desire to explore and discover. This instinct we have as a species is so strong that it has led us to the deepest depths of our oceans, and off our planet completely into the reaches of outer space. Human nature is so that we will never be satisfied, we will keep searching for new and exciting things to learn and discover, always pushing the boundaries further with each expedition. However it is not just the inhospitable places or impossibly far that fascinate us the most in terms of discovering the unknown. The idea that something unseen or unrecognised by science could be sat under our noses seems to be very appealing. Inspired by Darwins’ diary from his expeditions on The Beagle, ‘The Island’ is a book designed to satisfy some of these desires, to provide an element of escapism for the reader, to satisfy their curiosity in the unknown and to appeal to the childlike wish that perhaps there is something fantastic waiting out there to be found.
