THE DECEIT OF WATER | ABSTRACT GEOPHOTOGRAPHY OF SEA LEVEL RISE
SARA RAWLINSON
To elucidate the femme fatale nature of sea level rise, Sara Rawlinson makes geo-photographs using intentional camera movement (or ‘camera painting’). Combining slow shutter speeds with physical movements akin to dancing, she literally washes the water up on the land, thus artistically and metaphorically eroding cliffscapes and flooding cityscapes and notable political buildings.
In the images, water, sun and rock all mingle together - toppling cliffs, weaving with sunbeams, and interrupting horizons. Intense texture and colour are layered with seeming tranquility throughout the series, leading the viewer to further explore the hidden complexities of sea level rise. In this way and in direct response to climate change and the perils of sea level rise, these images evoke an ephemeral, intimate, painterly aesthetic: subtly luscious and dangerously timely.
Though Rawlinson's nearly-forty years of experience with photography, combined with a decade in researching and lecturing Earth Science and Climate Change, her photos are layered with meaning. They calm a quick passerby, provoke thoughtfulness in viewers who pause for a minute, and enrage viewers who dwell and ponder. Ultimately, these abstract fine art geo-photographs search for peace within the femme fatale nature of climate change, bringing a simultaneous sense of eloquence and ephemerality, delicacy and distress.
WHEN | 4 TO 28 APRIL
WHERE | BARN GALLERY, MONTSALVAT
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Sara Rawlinson is a multi-award winning fine art photographer. She has had a camera in her hands most days since she was six years old in the field and darkroom with her grandma.
Despite these early artistic inclinations, Sara spent a decade in academia (also awarded) teaching geology/natural hazards/climate change, before returning to her childhood love of photography in 2013. These academic years still heavily influence her photography - often showcasing geological textures and landscapes, heritage and educational institutions, and geological events such as sea level rise and volcanic eruptions.
Many of Sara's photographs and photo books have been awarded and shortlisted for international awards. She is an accredited member of the British Institute of Professional Photographers and a Brother of the Art Workers’ Guild. Her work is held in private and public collections around the world. Sara regularly exhibits her work in Europe. This is her first solo international exhibition outside of Europe.
Sara lives in Cambridge England with her husband and 10-yr old daughter.