Lettuce, legs and leaping for photographer Nicola Bensley

Lettuce, legs and long-distance travel weave a narrative that looks to reveal the beauty of everyday life in the work of photographer Nicola Bensley.

Legs 2, by Nicola Bensley
Legs 2, by Nicola Bensley

Her new London retrospective exhibition, features images from her travels in countries including Budapest and Vietnam.

Spokes Through the Shadows, by Nicola Bensley
Spokes Through the Shadows, by Nicola Bensley

The show is entitled Capriole – which the Oxford English Dictionary informs us is a horse-riding movement in which a horse ‘leaps from the ground and kicks out with its hind legs’- perhaps a reference to the joie de vivre of Bensley’s practice.

Colander by Nicola Bensley
Colander by Nicola Bensley

‘I am always seeking to record the beauty in the everyday and the truth behind the bizarre’, says Bensley.

‘Throughout my career I have been inspired by many photographers, from Julia Margaret Cameron’s spectral fantasies to Sally Mann’s feral family; from the genius of Cartier Bresson to the sensual beauty of early Lartigue.’

Night Scene, by Nicola Bensley
Night Scene, by Nicola Bensley

As well as images of her travels, the show will also feature Bensley’s portrait work, including Fabienne:

Fabienne, by Nicola Bensley
Fabienne, by Nicola Bensley

The images are all captured using black and white film, and are presented as silver gelatin handprints on fibre-based paper.

Mirror Night, by Nicola Bensley
Mirror Night, by Nicola Bensley

Bensley deliberately shuns digitally reworking of her pictures, instead feeling that her analogue approach is more suited to the way she wishes to portray ‘human expression and emotion’.

Legs 1, by Nicola Bensley
Legs 1, by Nicola Bensley

Capriole runs from 1 – 15 May at Pearlfisher Gallery, 50 Brook Green, London, W6 7BJ

Hide Comments (3)Show Comments (3)
Comments
  • Helen November 30, -0001 at 12:00 am

    I went to the opening night. Nicola’s work is absolutely stunning. Every image tells a story. Well worth a visit!

  • Sarah Brown November 30, -0001 at 12:00 am

    Such a beautiful collection of photographs. Looking forward to viewing the complete exhibition at Pearlfisher Gallery.

  • Sangeeta Solanki November 30, -0001 at 12:00 am

    Nicola’s photographs are sublime, and so beautifully printed. It’s a wonderful exhibition.

  • Post a comment

Latest articles