honorable mention
Rebecca Marshall france
title
Photo Synthesis
Green plants evolved to harness sunlight to feed themselves, through the process of photosynthesis. The energy that they create and store, born from the sun, supports all life on earth.
During the day green leaves absorb photons, fundamental particles of light energy, which power the creation of glucose molecules from air and water. At night, when photosynthesis is not possible, plants use this glucose to grow, and the nutrients they form, in both life and decay, transport energy along the entire food chain.
My fascination with the science and poetry of natural processes has led me to make “Photo Synthesis”, a reflection on this transformation of light into matter. Echoing the photosynthetic process, silver halide molecules in photographic film are transformed into metallic silver when exposed to light, bringing an image into being. We can see the forest as a photosensitive surface: individual leaves each record their exposure to sunlight. Inside these living photographs, we look through layer upon layer – plant and water, branch, leaf and earth –, spaces where ephemeral elements materialize as beautifully as in the processes of photosynthesis itself.
I chose to work at twilight, with a wooden, large format, analogue camera, beside the Lot River in southwest France. I was intrigued by the moment of pause between sunlight capture and the nighttime making of matter. In autumn, yellows and ochres are visible manifestations of the light that leaves have absorbed during the growing season, marking the turning of the plants’ energies towards the earth. The bodies of trees are revealed, showing the tangible results of their alchemy.
Energy produced by photosynthesis, moving through leaves, roots and soil, carries sunlight into the darkness, to store, ready for new growth in spring. The cycle of life revolves. The light returns.
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entry description
In the beginning there was light…Green plants evolved to harness sunlight to feed themselves, through the process of photosynthesis. The energy that they create and store, born from the sun, supports all life on earth.
During the day green leaves absorb photons, fundamental particles of light energy, which power the creation of glucose molecules from air and water. At night, when photosynthesis is not possible, plants use this glucose to grow, and the nutrients they form, in both life and decay, transport energy along the entire food chain.
My fascination with the science and poetry of natural processes has led me to make “Photo Synthesis”, a reflection on this transformation of light into matter. Echoing the photosynthetic process, silver halide molecules in photographic film are transformed into metallic silver when exposed to light, bringing an image into being. We can see the forest as a photosensitive surface: individual leaves each record their exposure to sunlight. Inside these living photographs, we look through layer upon layer – plant and water, branch, leaf and earth –, spaces where ephemeral elements materialize as beautifully as in the processes of photosynthesis itself.
I chose to work at twilight, with a wooden, large format, analogue camera, beside the Lot River in southwest France. I was intrigued by the moment of pause between sunlight capture and the nighttime making of matter. In autumn, yellows and ochres are visible manifestations of the light that leaves have absorbed during the growing season, marking the turning of the plants’ energies towards the earth. The bodies of trees are revealed, showing the tangible results of their alchemy.
Energy produced by photosynthesis, moving through leaves, roots and soil, carries sunlight into the darkness, to store, ready for new growth in spring. The cycle of life revolves. The light returns.
about the photographer
Rebecca Marshall is a British photographer based in the South of France. Her evolving art practice explores how we relate to the landscape, and her editorial portraits and reportage are regularly commissioned by clients such as the New York Times, Sunday Times magazine and Die Zeit. She is represented by agency Laif.back to gallery