Simon Cardwell

Says Simon Cardwell of this work, “The inspiration for this image stemmed from the breathtaking storm cloud bank I captured. The break in the clouds, allowing sunlight to pour through, evokes an almost spiritual feeling. The use of vibrantly coloured red and white tulips is crucial. A red butterfly finds sanctuary on the red tulips, as a gentle breeze stirs while birds quietly search for their prey, hidden in plain sight. The overwhelming sense of beauty is striking, with the white symbolising innocence and the red often associated with death – yet, in this context, perhaps representing freedom.”

A sense of trepidation is imbued through these meticulously constructed images. The photographer oscillates between backdrops of dark clouds, open skies or pink-orange sunset to communicate the uncertainty of change. The timeless allure of flowers serves to beautify the images but also reminds the viewer that the scene is a construct. Foreboding is present within each element of the composition, through the placement of each wildlife species creating behavioural tension that mimics posturing.

Cardwell uses the attractiveness of these natural elements to allure the viewer into the image and then expose dark moments hidden within the work. The fundamental power of his work is that they are both familiar and unseen – another impossibility that he brings to life in his photographs.