Rock formations, volcanic geology and lush foliage are key to Tom Leighton’s (b. 1981) alluring photographs. Here, we traverse holographic pools gleaming with luminous pinks, bold purples and oranges. Whilst these shots might seem otherworldly, they offer lessons about how life on this planet came to be. Leighton confronts us with “rare evidence of the colossal pressures which created the surface of the Earth … a manifestation of the planet’s physical history: times of stability veined with turbulent change, fault lines which can be a metaphor for our current human landscape.” Elsewhere, the photographer takes viewers into the forest under cover of darkness, showing a glimpse of what we might see if human night vision were to evolve. The camera zooms in on intricate leaves at sunset – the moment when photosynthesis stops and respiration begins. At once futuristic and reflective, these pictures occupy the borderlines between fine art, geography and botany.
Image credits:
1. Tom Leighton, Phosphor, (2023). Image courtesy the artist.
2. Tom Leighton, Noctura, (2021).Image courtesy the artist.
3. Tom Leighton, Canyon, (2020).Image courtesy the artist.
4. Tom Leighton, Flux, (2023).Image courtesy the artist.
5. Tom Leighton, Resurgence, (2023).Image courtesy the artist.
6. Tom Leighton, Serriform, (2022).Image courtesy the artist.
7. Tom Leighton, Threshold, (2023).Image courtesy the artist.
8. Tom Leighton, Traverse, (2023).Image courtesy the artist.
9. Tom Leighton, Shrouded, (2023).Image courtesy the artist.
10. Tom Leighton, Fission, (2022).Image courtesy the artist.
11. Tom Leighton, Liminal, (2023). Image courtesy the artist.
