Nicholas Hughes U.K., b. 1963
The Sound of Space Breathing [Verse III, no. 2], 2018-2021
Silver gelatin on paper
Signed by the artist, on verso
Signed by the artist, on verso
20 x 24 in.
© Nicholas Hughes
The artwork emerges from a deeply meditative process of observing the landscape. Hughes spent seven years traversing Cornish footpaths, using a large format camera to capture what he calls 'the...
The artwork emerges from a deeply meditative process of observing the landscape. Hughes spent seven years traversing Cornish footpaths, using a large format camera to capture what he calls "the music of all that is." His images render natural elements like tree canopies, water, and sky in silvery greys and deep blacks, suggesting an almost mystical interconnectedness.
By eliminating human presence and focusing on minute natural details, Hughes creates a visual language that speaks to nature's autonomous breathing - where "water is given voice," clouds "speak unearthly," and trees sound "wholly telluric."
The photograph, rendered in silvery greys and deep blacks, reveals Hughes' masterful manipulation of natural light. Tree canopies and star patterns become interchangeable visual rhythms. Inspired by writers like Thoreau and influenced by the Gaia paradigm, Hughes creates images that suggest nature's self-regenerative power.
By exploiting photomechanical techniques in the darkroom, he transforms the landscape into a poetic meditation on interconnectedness. The work embodies his philosophical stance that "through nature, all makes sense, all things flow one into the other," presenting a calm vision of cosmic indifference that transcends human perception.
Nicholas Hughes' artwork 'The Sound of Space Breathing' captures the ethereal essence of natural rhythms through a profound sensory experience that transcends visual representation. The series is about listening to nature's intrinsic musicality, where the landscape becomes a living, breathing entity.
By eliminating human presence and focusing on minute natural details, Hughes creates a visual language that speaks to nature's autonomous breathing - where "water is given voice," clouds "speak unearthly," and trees sound "wholly telluric."
The photograph, rendered in silvery greys and deep blacks, reveals Hughes' masterful manipulation of natural light. Tree canopies and star patterns become interchangeable visual rhythms. Inspired by writers like Thoreau and influenced by the Gaia paradigm, Hughes creates images that suggest nature's self-regenerative power.
By exploiting photomechanical techniques in the darkroom, he transforms the landscape into a poetic meditation on interconnectedness. The work embodies his philosophical stance that "through nature, all makes sense, all things flow one into the other," presenting a calm vision of cosmic indifference that transcends human perception.
Nicholas Hughes' artwork 'The Sound of Space Breathing' captures the ethereal essence of natural rhythms through a profound sensory experience that transcends visual representation. The series is about listening to nature's intrinsic musicality, where the landscape becomes a living, breathing entity.