Drawing on his time spent in Japan, Sneddon’s second piece, aptly named the Loop displays a projection of the Joel-ji Temple Garden in Yamaguchi, Japan.
The artist and monk Sesshu designed the garden in the 16th century and the projection of it is on a continuous loop, allowing viewers to observe why many make a pilgrimage to the garden to meditate.
Sectioned off from the remainder of the gallery, an instant sense of calm descends on the observer. The shot is so idyllic it is easy to miss the groupings of rocks and shrubs, which represent Mount Fuji in the main shot.
Sneddon manages to continuously highlight emotions, which are part of human nature and are unconscious in his exhibition.
The desire to leave behind a personal mark is displayed through numerous photos, which capture a bench with countless etchings and symbols carved into it.
Many of the messages are personal yet are left in a public place, almost like a declaration to be seen by whoever passes by. Sneddon’s use of pictures represents these memories, as both fade and fragment over time.
Although it is inevitable for memories to be forgotten, the etchings remain on the bench, carrying them from the past into the present.
Confusion at why Sneddon has chosen a glass bench to show this transforms into understanding in the observer’s mind through the explanation stencilled onto it about the souvenir, demonstrating the transformation of the memories.