This work is part of Simon Cardwell’s 2024 solo exhibition, The Coming Storm.

A sense of trepidation is imbued through these meticulously constructed images. Simon 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.

Simon 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 Simon’s work is that they are both familiar and unseen – another impossibility that he brings to life in his photographs.

Says Simon of this work, “I love photographing Calla Lilies – their long, sometimes bent stems often shape the composition and design of the image in unexpected ways. As I find the right combination of angle and placement, the narrative seems to naturally unfold through the interplay of light. The scene comes together with a finch hiding from a bird of prey. Photographing the finch is always a challenge— smaller birds move quickly—but positioning a perch helps achieve the final pose.”