Philosophy of jetties and coastal engineering

¶ … jetties, places meanings associations. As a photographic project aim visually explore jetties context, create images reflect personal involvement jetties. Seen point view clear photographs autoethnographic.

While most people think of jetties as having a purely functional purpose, it is especially intriguing to consider them in a context of a person's view on life in general. The fact that a jetty interacts with a body of water that can be considered to be 'alive' also makes it possible for the structure itself to take on a personality -- it constantly comes into contact with water and provides viewers with a really impressive show if analyzed thoroughly. To a certain degree it appears that a jetty is man's tendency to get involved in the natural world while having a limited impact on the environment.

In comparison to a large port, a jetty has minimal impact on the body of water where it is located. In a way the structure is present and functional but it does not disturb the natural balance in areas where it is located. It would be safe to say that a jetty symbolizes man's presence in nature while also acknowledging the power of the natural world. It is a relatively fragile structure when considering its likeliness to stand the test of time. However, its presence there is actually meant to emphasize the fleeting nature of time. A jetty can be considered beautiful long after it served its purpose -- many abandoned jetties provide viewers with an intriguing display. To a certain degree an abandoned jetty is even more interesting than one that is still used. It presents the viewer with a series of questions such as Who built it? Did the person who built it live to see its overall life? How did it look like when it was fully functional and several boats were moored onto it? Is it sad that it is abandoned or is its current state a reminder of the beauty of life and death in general?

A jetty can be considered a launch pad to feelings of hope or exploring. When observing the body of water between boats moored to the jetty and the point where the sea meets the horizon, it seems that the jetty itself is meant to emphasize the lengths to which people can go in order to feel one with the sea. By looking at a jetty one is actually encouraged to consider the opportunities that it provides. For a fisherman or for someone interested in exploring large bodies of water a jetty functions as a concept supporting their dreams and making it possible for them to acknowledge the fact that man can always communicate with the sea by using a jetty. In a way a jetty can be seen as a way to translate people's desires regarding the sea. It enables them to keep a form of frequent connection to the sea as they return to it and as they simply think about the possibility of using the 'launch pad' whenever they want to with the purpose of 'talking' to the sea. It is actually curious that in spite of the fact that humans are social individuals many prefer to sail on their own. The idea in this case is probably that by doing this they can communicate with the water even better than they would do with an actual person.