Photographer Hannah Caldwell’s photo project reflecting her fascination with shape, colour and texture and how food connects us all.
A study exploring fungi, their fascinating shapes, colours and textures and a close-up look at their intricate structures. Continuing an exploration of ingredients and texture in my personal work, I was drawn to the beauty and complex structures of mushrooms.
My local markets are a constant source of inspiration and seasonal produce, and have a mushroom specialist who has a fantastic array of mushrooms and fungi, where I found the most beautiful fungi in different colours and shapes.
Fungi are fascinating creatures, interesting not just from a culinary standpoint where they are highly prized and sought after, but biologically and ecologically as well. Oyster mushrooms are capable of cleaning up oil spills, which seems almost at odds with their beautiful and delicate appearance.
I’m drawn to subjects that represent human experience and its complexity, both in my fine art practice and my commercial work. I am interested in the structure and form of organic material – particularly the lines that echo the human form. My subjects represent life, food, and nature.
Food epitomizes connection: to the earth, to life, to tradition, to our heritage, to each other. It links past and present across continents and through generations. The food of our childhoods has the power to transcend time and place, with a taste instantly connecting us to our pasts and to family, no matter how distant. Enjoyment of food – and its preparation – involves all the senses in an immersive experience. Its significance goes beyond just fueling our bodies; food nourishes and heals us.
For me, photography is about time: capturing a moment to temporarily suspend forward motion so we can slow down and connect to the emotion the photograph evokes. Nature has a rhythm – seasons, growth, aging – that I want to document and measure. Being in nature calms me and connects me to something bigger than myself. By slowing down, I hope to reveal the details, the depth, and the layers of seemingly simple objects that are actually quite complex. Photography provides a sense of control over time, though we are actually powerless to stop it.
