From the Thames

Duncan Unsworth

This project was spawned whilst walking the Thames Path. Passing Runnymede, Hampton Court and many other places I became very aware of how it was to walk through history as much as geography. This river has been at the centre of so much of the nation’s history. I began to wonder about all the minor events the river must also have witnessed, perhaps forgotten by all bar the river itself. Frustratingly, the black and white photographs I took at the time didn’t really convey this sense of mystery, so I started looking for another approach. Consequently a workshop with Paul Kenny, as he was beginning to employ digital techniques and flat-bed scanners, provided the modus operandi to express the thoughts I wanted. www.duncanunsworth.com

Armed with plastic bags, gloves and bottles I started ‘mud-larking’ on the beaches exposed at low tide along the river in London, collecting bits of debris discarded by mankind as well as samples of water from the river. Selections of the objects were then used to make still-life assemblages on sheets of glass (varying in size between 5 x 4 and 10 x 8 inches). Using the water from the same beach as the objects they were then doused and left to dry in a repeated procedure until the required patina was achieved. The repeated wetting is rather analogous to the cycle of tides and although there is an element of serendipity in how the water dries, with experience I got to learn how it would turn orange with rust from objects or leave ‘tide marks’ of salt crystals, silt or even occasionally organic matter (Greenwich Genesis, bottom right, was very noxious whilst being made!). Using droppers and small brushes to paint with the water the whole process could take over a week for each image. The glass with the items on top was then transferred to a flat-bed scanner, a delicate operation which resulted in a few disasters and having to start again. Flat-bed scanners have a very penetrative light and perspective which is good at bringing out details overlooked by the naked eye. The resulting large files were then manipulated in photoshop much the same as any photograph and printed in sizes up to 50”x 40”.

My love of photography began by watching the emergence of a print in a tray of developer whilst at university. Despite my degree being in geography, on leaving university I joined the BBC as a cameraman where I worked for 35 years with credits on many iconic sitcoms such as ‘One Foot in the Grave’. As well as being recognised with a Royal Television Award for work on the live Eastenders episodes. Now working freelance I also tutor at the National Film and Television School.

Still photography remains a passion. I frequently exhibit with London Independent Photography and Thirteen, a collection of London based photographers. Some of my photographs could be considered documentary but I also use multiple exposures, a flat-bed scanner or even material from the internet to create images.