THE BUTTRESS by SUSAN BOURNE

I have chosen Susan’s image from our Brickwork gallery for a couple of reasons. First, I think it is an excellent image which is well composed and presented here in timeless black and white. We have the stark contrast of the upright black wooden framing and white wattle and daub, which would have dominated had it not been subordinated to the left one-third of the image. This allows the brickwork to dominate the rest of the image in more subtle mid-tones with the buttressing allowing the bricks to flow on the diagonal. The two elements are then ‘stitched’ together with the creeper threading its way between them.

Not only is Susan new to SPG but this was her first attempt at using a manual film camera, setting the camera controls, processing the film and creating a digital image for the gallery. That’s a lot to master for her first attempt with film and Susan was clear in saying that this image came together with the support of her photographer daughter so there is something of a collaborative effort here in the final image. But I’m not going to let that take away from what I think is an excellent composition of Susan’s making and her courage to try something new. Well done, Susan. I look forward to seeing more of your work in future.

Graham Wood