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Ebony’s Pick:
Photographer
Ellie Davies

Images: Smoke and Mirrors, 2010, Ellie Davies. © Ellie Davies, courtesy Ellie Davies/Crane Kalman Brighton Gallery.
The British photographer explores the fabricated nature of landscape. It’s safe to state that the forest is our backyard. Our natural obsession with the woods has led us to the discovery of the work of British photographer Ellie Davis.

Forests and us

Davis’ expansive body of work has taken shape around a fascination for our relationship and interaction with forests. UK forests have been shaped by human processes over thousands of years, Davis explains. They include ancient woodlands, timber forestry, and wildlife reserves. As such, the forest represents the confluence of nature and culture, of natural landscape and human activity. Forests are potent symbols in folklore, fairytale and myth, places of enchantment and magic as well as of danger and mystery. In recent history they have come to be associated with psychological states relating to the unconscious.

Re-evaluate the relationship

By engaging with the woods through temporary interventions, such as making and building with found materials, introducing starscapes captured by the Hubble Telescope, or creating pools of light on the forest floor, she creates altered, fantasy landscapes that place the viewer between fantasy and reality. Her work encourages us to re-evaluate the way in which our relationship with the landscape is formed, and the extent to which it is a product of cultural heritage or personal experience. In other words, what we see, feel, and experience when walking around a forest isn’t necessarily mimicking what it actually is.

Find them in our publication

A selection of images belonging to her Smoke and Mirrors series, starring saplings as “the chosen ones”, golden trees introduced within a thicket, is featured in our upcoming magazine. The bespoke publication, generous in size and content, narrates about our journey, our product, and our world. From the perfect cut to stellar wood interiors, talking about where we come from, and where we are heading next, it’s a celebration of passion, design and excellence.

To get your copy, follow our social media channels.