Soliloquy: Toby Burrows

“Soliloquy is a poetic study of form, an organic creation of images in-camera using traditional studio techniques, theatrical sets and underwater choreography.

Captured from a vertical viewpoint, the photographs are non-reliant on image manipulation for atmospheric effect. By diffusing the water with a natural pigment, the clarity of the lines within the work gently graduates with increased depth, creating a painting-like quality to each photograph.

The surface of the water is the gateway between wakefulness and dream, the void between performer and audience. Like a soliloquy in Shakespearean drama, the images seduce, engage and provoke a moment of intimacy in which the photographs speak to the viewer. Inspired by Pre-Raphaelite painting and Shakespeare’s Ophelia, the female form and the movement of flowing material are delicately illuminated to create the mood of a painted artwork. In each scene, the layered and diffused background harmoniously combines to suggest a story that holds depth and suspense in equal measure." - Toby Burrows

Queensland photographer Toby Burrows' imagery sits on the boundary between fantasy and reality. He terms each setting a 'mindscape', that with their surreal elements, opens up the multiple workings of a human response. This is the first time that his new Soliloquy series, consisting of six limited edition photographs, has been shown in London.