EVERYTHING'S A STORY

The photographs of Hugh Burden

Portfolio & Limited Edition Prints

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portait of Hugh Burden photographer

Following a successful advertising photography career I now direct my energy to constructing surreal photographic imaginations. The process involves the manipulation and merging of many photographs to expose an alternative reality.

My aesthetic references cultural and ecological themes or I am simply moved to explore narratives or scenes suggested by observed textures. This a trick of the eye called pareidolia; the human tendency to seek patterns in random information.

Both approaches result in images that belie the origins of the final conception.

Look through the lens of
HUGH BURDEN photographer

The everyday re-imagined

All images from the portfolio are available to collect as limited edition prints for your home, your office or give as a beautiful unique gift.

The images are superbly printed on museum archival quality paper in limited editions of 50 or 25. They are signed, rolled in tissue paper and sent in a sturdy cardboard tube with a certificate of authenticity.

Major credit cards are accepted via secure Paypal 'Checkout'

For more information, commissions, collaborations, exhibitions, talks or to request a newsletter simply mail: hugh@hughburdenart.co.uk he will be delighted to hear from you.

WHISPERING WALLS

"I notice images and landscapes on walls and buildings;
suggestions of stories to be deciphered. It is like
interpreting fluffy clouds as people and things."

Walls Collection

Landscapes & Seascapes

THE INSPIRATION: Discovered distressed walls, stained and marked in ways that suggest landscapes and scenes. THE PALLETE: The textures and colours, cracks and crumblings, stains and peelings, moss and grime of the walls. The final scenes engineered by adding and overlaying images to fulfil the narrative.


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Composite photograph of distressed wall and trees looking like a landcape
Walls Landscape 01 2020
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Composite photograph of distressed wall, trees and a stream to form a surrreal landscape
Walls Canyon 01 2020
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Composite photograph of distressed wall, trees, a deer to form a surrreal landscape
Walls Canyon 02 2020
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Composite photograph of distressed wall, sea, an oyster boat to form a surrreal seascape
Walls Oyster Boat 01 2020
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Composite photograph of textured wall with overlaid sea and oyster fishing boat
Walls Oyster Boat 02 2020
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crumbling plaster wall, with overlaid photograph of ruined casle tower, a hawk hunts flock of crows
Walls Castle Hunt 2020
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Clifton suspension bridge composited over textured brick wall
Brunel Suspension Bridge 2020
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Cockrel sits on farmyard fence in junkyard background
King 2020
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The Walls of Pareidolia

the writing is on the wall

Pareidolia is the mind responding to patterns and interpreting them as familiar things. Each wall I photograph is being reclaimed by the organisms growing there, the patterns they form suggesting their own landscape. To the wall photographs multiple images are overlaid, manipulated and blended.

The constructs represent an aesthetic vocabulary referencing humankind's disregard for our planet. My intention is to create landscapes that belie their true origin while testifying to and illustrating the environmental issues we face. The writing is on the wall.

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No. 1 in environment series showing green field site mysteriously cordened off with red tape
Walls of Pareidolia 01 2020
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2nd. in series: woodland photograph overlaid on wall with old cabling in conduit.
Walls of Pareidolia 02 2020
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3rd in series: wall texture used to complement overlaid green field and woodland landscape overlay- distant cranes on building site, human encroachment
Walls of Pareidolia 03 2020
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4th in series: wall overlaid with forest fire- a mysterious metal door in the wall suggesting a way out.
Walls of Pareidolia 04 2020
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5th photograph in wall series: plastic waste in the sea, air travel polution. Composite illustrating environmental issues
Walls of Pareidolia 05 2020
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6th composite photograph in series: on a wall a gentle woodland stream scene is superimposed all spoiled by a buckled bicycle wheel discarded in the water
Walls of Pareidolia 06 2020
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No. 7: A river landscape scene overlaid on textured wall. The river has floating dead fish while overhead birds fly away
Walls of Pareidolia 07 2020
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No. 8 last in series: a crumbling wall with elecric junction box is the background to overlaid stormy seas and flying seagulls- illustrates the fear of rising water levels
Walls of Pareidolia 08 2020
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Lake Collection

The watery worlds of lichen

Some concrete walls contoured with mould and populated with lichen seemed to characterise underwater scenes etched into the masonry. I played with the notion by juxtaposing pond water, reeds and fish over the lichen covered stone canvas. The curious effect brought to life re-creating the imagined scenes.

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Calm monotoned misty pond landscape constructed from lichen stained wall and actual pond photographs
Lake 01 2020
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Monotoned misty pond scene with fish surfacing constructed from lichen stained wall and actual pond photographs
Lake 02 2020
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Monotoned underwater scene with two fish and many bubbles constructed from lichen stained wall water and a fish
Lake 03 2020
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ADVENTURE & DISCOVERY

Re-created observations and imaginations

Cliffs & Islands - Brexit Collection

weathering the storm.

The initial idea behind the Island series was to create and explore narratives with a seafaring theme. As the project progressed it soon became apparent to be a metaphor for the contemporary political situation in the UK. The isolation of the islands, the rain and dampness permeating, potential hostilities may or may not be a foreboding.

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Illustrative fantasy, composite photograph with two small islands with one pine tree in middle of a sea
Cliffs & Islands - Brexit 04 2018
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Monotoned illustrative fantasy composite photograph with one small islands with one pine tree in middle of a sea
Cliffs & Islands - Brexit 05 2018
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Solitary small island in ocean with ramshackle stone building and horned antelope looking to camera
Cliffs & Islands - Brexit 06 2018
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Solitary small fantasy island in ocean with stone bench on which a parrot sits warding off a predatory hawk
Cliffs & Islands - Brexit 07 2018
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Composite fantasy photograph of solitary small island in ocean with rough waves; a lone Meercat looks out
Cliffs & Islands - Brexit 08 2018
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Universe Collection

Big Bang Theory

I came across this location in Llantwit Major, South Wales, with billions of Jurassic boulders. It was obvious there were photographs to be made here; but how eluded me. I sat for a couple of hours contemplating the millions of grey scattered boulders. The light changed, the tide receded, people came and went but the rocks were silent; I could not see the photograph.

About to concede, my own big bang theory evolved. It occured to me that the rocks, seemingly infinite and randomly dispersed, had an affinity with the Universe. So, with a little intervention and a further trip to photograph the 3000 million year old pink rocks of Perros-Guirec, Brittany these divergent cosmic worlds were made.

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Grey Jurassic boulders and one Earth like 'planet' make up surreal constructed universe space scene
Universe 01 2017
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Jurassic boulders and six earth like 'planets' make up surreal constructed universe space scene
Universe 02 2017
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Jurassic boulders form background for small planet floating above larger one in surreal fantadsy universe photograph
Universe 03 2017
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Dark pink Jurassic boulders and one earth like 'planet' make up surreal constructed universe space scene
Universe 04 2017
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Six Dark pink Jurassic boulders contain blue water. they form an arrow formation in the myriad of boulders in this surreal constructed universe space scene
Universe 05 2017
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A single Mars like planet floats above dark pink Jurassic rock, the 6th in universe series
Universe 06 2017
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Forest Collection

wood wide web

Nicknamed by researchers as the 'wood wide web', trees communicate with each other via fungal networks to combat threats. Using this underground network they share information and resources giving special attention to their offspring. In return the fungus is supplied nutrients.

Uncovering a pile of damp rotting pine planks I stumbled across myriads of intricate fronds of fungus that had weaved their way around the rotting wood. As each fungus laden layer was exposed diminutive forests were revealed. By merging images of pine trees with the fungus I set about photographically exploring their relationship. The resemblances between the trees and their symbiotic partner re-imagined into surreal forest landscapes.

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Photographed white wood fungus with overlaid pine trees make this composite photograph form a new fantasy forest landscape
Forest 01 2017
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2nd in series: photographed white wood fungus with overlaid copse of pine trees make this composite photograph form a new fantasy forest landscape
Forest 02 2017
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3rd in series: photographed white wood fungus close up is overlaid with distant copse of trees to make this look like a woodland landscape
Forest 03 2017
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Two leafless tree silhouettes overlaid onto plank of reddish wood with white fungus constucts a convincing sunset landscape
Forest 04 2017
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Photographed white wood fungus with an overlaid pine tree make this composite photograph form a new landscape prehaps a little Japanese in style
Forest 06P 2017
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Photographed white wood fungus with overlaid pine trees make this composite photograph form a new mystical forest landscape
Forest 07P 2017
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Photographed white wood fungus with overlaid pine trees make this composite photograph form a new mystical forest landscape
Forest 09P 2017
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Rock Pebble Sand Collection

Montalivet, France

The long golden sand beach at Montalivet, France had a section where decayed and compressed black forest matter was released from the Dunes in rivulets. It was here I photographed 'The Wizard', the first photograph in this series, he waved his arms wildly creating spells and unknown havoc. His visage and other magical creations were made by the black grains released from and distributed by streams etching shapes and river deltas across the golden sand.

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Photograph of golden sand where black rotting compressed wood particles have leached in rivulets to form patterns and shapes
Rock Pebble Sand 01 2017 (The Wizard)
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2nd in series: Photograph of golden sand where black rotting compressed wood particles have leached in rivulets to form patterns and shapes
Rock Pebble Sand 02 2017
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Third in series: golden sand where black rotting compressed wood particles have leached in rivulets to form patterns and shapes
Rock Pebble Sand 03 2017
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No 4 in series: golden sand and black particles form patterns and shapes
Rock Pebble Sand 04 2017
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Fifth in series: photograph of golden sand and black particles forming patterns and shapes as rivulets of water carried the particles to the sea
Rock Pebble Sand 05 2017
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Work in progress

C19 Confinement - A 21st century Challenge

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A tired looking giant tortoise with a chimney, letter bos, door no C19 and brass doorknocker rests in a remote filed with mountains behind
Everything's A Story 3

the Book- 66 pages with 76 photographs

'Everythings a Story' book contained in black presentaion box on a coffee table
Section title double page spread of 'Everythings a Story' book on a coffee table
Double page spread of 'Everythings a Story' book on a coffee table

Get all the photographs (except work in progress) in one full colour coffee table package. The book is 38 x 29 cms and beautifully printed on 300 gm lustre photographic paper giving the look and feel of genuine old school 'wet prints'. The covers are hardback and the lay flat binding allows a clear view of each page edge to edge. Everything's A Story 3 is in a limited edition book of 25 and comes with a signed certificate of authenticity. An elegantly simple presentation box is availble made of 2mm thick board covered with black linen fabric, it has a dual magnet closure and a red ribbon open tab. Unfortunately presentation boxes are only available in the UK

EXHIBITIONS

2017 Solo show, The Bocabar, Bristol
2018 Art Trail Solo show at Studio, Bristol
2018 Solo Show, Guildhall Chambers, Bristol
2019 Joint Show, Leigh Court, Bristol
2019 Joint Show, Art Trail, St Monicas, Bristol
2019 Open Exhibition, Royal West Academy

PRIVATE COLLECTIONS

Bath, Bristol, Cardiff, Gloucester, Hastings, London,
Maidenhead, Scunthorpe, Bordeaux, Paris, Sydney.

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Print and Delivery Information

Sourcing the best printing, the best materials to complement these whimsical and surreal worlds has been of paramount importance. I am confident you will be very happy with the beautiful quality of your printed photograph/s and the outstanding museum archival properties.


PRINT SIZES
Prints sizes range from A1 (84.1 x 59.4 cm), A2 (59.4 x 42cm), A3 (42x 29.7 cm) and A4 (29.7 X 21 cm) in limited editions of 50 and/or 25 as stated. There may be up to two AP's (Artist Pass prints). The photographs are ready for framing, signed with year and edition number, rolled in tissue paper and sent in a sturdy cardboard tube with a signed certificate of authenticity.

THE PAPER
Platinum Baryta 300 is a 100% acid free Fine Art paper with a smooth unglazed gloss surface. It was chosen for it's natural white base and state of the art micro-porous ink receiving layer that delivers a high D-MAX (2.7) and wide colour gamut. These properties reveal delicate highlights and smooth transitions to shadows. The paper is approved by the Fine Art Trade Guild and when used with the pigment ink set a print life of much more than 85 years is assured. This combination of printer, ink set and paper originates extremely beautiful photographic prints similar in style and feel to 'old school' wet prints.

 Please Note: the surface of fine art prints are delicate and can mark with fingerprints, liquids and abrasions; utmost care should be taken when handling them prior to mounting and framing. We reserve to right to change paper without prior notice to a similar specification of paper.

THE PRINTER & INK
Canon professional fine art ink jet printer twinned with Canon's LUCIA EX pigment ink produces ultra high quality Fine Art prints with exceptional archival performance. We reserve to right to change the printer and ink set without prior notice to others with at least similar specifications.

DELIVERY, POST AND PACKING
Printing usually takes 3 to 5 working days plus post time on top. Depending on where in the World you and your postal service add another 3 to 10 working days. In the event of any delays our end, due to commissioned workload, we will keep you informed by e-mail.

The prints are supplied rolled in a secure cardboard tube and sent via Royal Mail in the UK and La Poste in France. Delivery and packing is added at checkout for a £12.00 flat rate. A confirmation e-mail of purchase is sent after check out and another to confirm despatch. Any date of delivery given by Hugh Burden Art shall be an estimate date, will do our utmost to get your purchase to you as quickly as we can. Please note despite all our best intentions Hugh Burden Art shall not be held responsible for late delivery.

 RETURNS
See Terms & Condiitions '6- Cancellation & Returns'. If for any reason you are unsatisfied with your print or merchandise you have 14 days from receiving it to return it (tracked postage) for a full purchase refund.

For more information, commission enquiries, collaborations, exhibitions, talks or to request a newsletter simply mail: hugh@hughburdenart.co.uk