Edward J Felton, Pilning Wetlands, First edition one off met...

Estimate

£300 - £400

Edward J Felton, Pilning Wetlands, First edition one off metal print in floating frame, 44cm x 64cm overall

The textured patterned collage of shapes and colours found on the Severn Estuary can only be appreciated from the air. When looking to create an image exploring nature's relationship with any given environment it is always worth looking at the bigger picture and in this case, from above. Taking to the air, this landscape suddenly takes on a complexity full of detail and shows off the relationship between the different plants growing and the competition for space. This stretch of coastline looks very different now, emphasising the importance of photography as a means of looking into the past.

From my earliest days the natural world has been a constant within my life and has helped steer
me in the decisions I make and the way I interact with the world. Nature has always been an
important element in my love and understanding of all forms of art and this has definitely
impacted on my photography. Through my practice I have been assigned to work on projects
which involve working in some of the more wild parts of the globe and these locations will
forever inspire me.
I like to tell the story of my subjects, and drones have proved a more than useful tool in aiding
this compulsion. Seeing the world from a new perspective can help calibrate our relationship
with space, and remind us simply to look. With my drones I might be found on top of the
highest peak in Sweden, recording ice melt in Greenland, documenting inaccessible places for
national news or simply finding the beauty above a most inauspicious location. Most recently I
have celebrated the accolade of being featured in National Geographic’s new book World from
Above.
It is very easy to become quite philosophical about why we do the things we do, but I do truly
feel that my photography has a healthy foundation we can all benefit from. Just the act of
looking at an image briefly can reset the mind or enable us to see something from a different
perspective. To me, both art and nature have the potential to lift spirits and provoke thought.