This Fortress Built by Nature for Herself

This Fortress Built by Nature for Herself is one chapter of ongoing photographic work on international borders. The project seeks to show that all borders are discursively constructed—even borders that follow natural features such as rivers, mountains or coastlines. The white chalk cliffs on England’s south coast have long served as a symbol of national identity and Britain’s distinction from the European continent. By capturing individuals during the split second in which they conquer their fear to peek over the cliff edge, the project aims to make a portrait of people in doubt, of people uncertain about what the future will hold after Brexit. More broadly, the project is about the current uncertainty in global politics—specifically, the conflict between those who want to see a more open and interconnected world, and those who peddle nativist nostalgia for an era in which the international community was divided by stronger borders.