Submerge

By Suzanne Bainton

I remember the thrill of buying my first camera, a Nikon FM2, in Hong Kong. The shop was near Chungking Mansions, the famous backpacker hangout in Kowloon and I bargained so hard that the seller threw in some free accessories. I tried out the camera at a nearby market and was instantly hooked. Photography unlocked a sixth sense.

Each of the photographs captures a single moment in a long artistic journey.

First, the materials. I forage some of these on long walks through Kent’s woodlands and hills –poppy seed heads, wild blackberries, chicken-of-the-woods mushrooms. I also use all kinds of freshflowers, some of them grown in my own garden here in Tunbridge Wells: roses, hydrangeas, tulips, sunflowers, thistles.

Back at the studio, I arrange all the materials in a water tank. I set up my camera, my lights. I mix ink or paints. I sometimes use neon paint; it introduces a modern, street-art vibe.

I choose where to pour the ink but I can’t control how it falls. Every work has an element of chance that makes it unique, unrepeatable. Sometimes the ink mimics the shape of the mushrooms or the texture of silk from an old still life painting. Or it fractures and swirls into miniature galaxies.

One of my influences is the Vanitas movement that began in the 16th century. Its painters reflected on life’s transience and fragility. I borrow some elements of their style.

These images are also deeply personal. They reconnect me to the places I’ve been – from a hushed pine forest in Switzerland to a riotous festival town in India. I hope people will also be enchanted by the worlds I‘ve created.