British Photographer Creates B&W Ode To Malta’s Environment In New Collection Of Analogue Images
British photographer Inigo Taylor has recently launched a collection of black and white analogue photographs in a touching ode to Malta’s environment in new exhibition ‘Maltese, Everlasting’.
The title is inspired by the endemic plant found on the Maltese archipelago, Helichrysum melitense (Maltese everlasting), specifically on the island of Gozo – a place that was considered home for many years during the British photographer’s childhood.
It also serves as a metaphor for the fragility of the Maltese countryside.
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The collection of photographs – currently exhibiting at Studio 87 in Valletta – consists of analogue photographs capturing the uniqueness of our natural environment in its purest and most vulnerable state.
Speaking to Lovin Malta, Taylor said, “the 11 landscape photographs presented in ‘Maltese, Everlasting’ are, for me, as a photographer a beginning and if for nothing else, for my daughter Rosie”.
Taylor said his fatherhood has changed the way he views his work.
“The prospect of fatherhood in autumn of 2019 changed my outlook on both photography and Malta. Walking every day in our local valley of Wied Ħesri, I began to think about our child and about what I could give to her as a father that would contribute to the best start, to live a full life,” he said.
“With the valley slowly becoming green again after the long dry summer, I realised that to appreciate the natural world, from the delicate minute flowers peering out of rubble walls to the wisened carob trees and ancient limestone landscapes, was for me the most important journey I could make with her,” he explained.
“To start again, to be open to nature and what we could be privileged to learn from it.”
Taylor expressed how Malta can be a difficult place to live if we wish to share these values with our children – but although it is difficult, it’s far from impossible.
“To notice the glow of autumn light after a storm, to recognise how beautiful a white poplar is as the wind passes through its leaves and perhaps above all else to be in awe of nature’s sheer verdancy in spite of all we put in its way,” he said.
If one is familiar with Inigo’s work, one will soon recognise the documentary style that is often associated with his photography. Although these images might seem subtle and not complex, there is far more to be discovered underneath the surface.
Inigo started to capture these black and white analogue photographs when the pandemic broke out back in 2020. These countryside escapades served as a time of exploration, reflection and growth.
The duration of this project coincided with the birth of Inigo’s daughter Rosie which served as the main catalyst for his interest in nature and the importance of sharing that appreciation with her.
The exhibition kicked off on 11th March, and is running until 25th March.
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