27/03/2026
During the work I did for the traveling exhibition, Land schafft.Klang https://landschafftklang.de
I photographed and recorded the scythe master Richard Bals in Upper Bavaria. I write "master" because this skill is sadly disappearing from our fields and meadows. But it´s still an excellent way to cut grass in sensitive areas, for example near ground nesting birds, sensitive ground which would be damaged by a modern tractor or in a confined area like a fruit tree meadow. I spent an interesting few hours with Richard in which he not only demonstrated how to user the scythe but also it´s maintenance. I really enjoyed listening to him as he explained not just the use of the tool but also farming and village history. He holds workshops in Bavaria too.
Unfortunately it wasn´t used in the exhibition but I've decided to put together the photographs and edit the sound of the scythe scything through the long grass and other sounds too - plus the interview.
This is one shot I took on the day.
