The Dorset Stour, 1986- 1989 - Roger Polley and John Woodman
© Roger Polley & John Woodman
Landscape and the environment are the contexts for the photographic work of Roger Polley and John Woodman.
An exploration of the elements earth, fire, air, and water combined with a study of time have been a constant source of inspiration for their work.
They intend the outcomes of commissions and projects to be a celebration of the environment and nature through the photographic medium. The study of local distinctiveness has also played a major part in Polley and Woodman's approach to their work. They aim to bring to the viewer's awareness some of the distinctive qualities, which are often overlooked in our local landscape and environment, and which give it its identity and sense of place.
Polley and Woodman have evolved an approach to commissions, which is inclusive, allowing research, for example, into the local community, history, culture, environment, and ecology to influence and advise the development of a project. This has often resulted in a shared profile to be inscribed within the photographic work to convey an enhanced understanding of a particular environment or place.
Polley and Woodman have produced and exhibited their work nationally and internationally, as well as in regional and local galleries, which are often near to the location where a commission has been undertaken.
Polley and Woodman’s archive of artistic practice will be part of the Lowood arts archive from 2027. This significant body of work covers almost 50 years of their artistic collaborative practice, and Lowood arts is very proud to be allowed to care for it.
John Woodman
John Woodman is an experimental film/video and photographic artist who works with and
investigates landscape. His films have been screened at international festivals, and film installations shown in numerous galleries across the world.
Woodman was one of the founding members of the Undercut Magazine Collective and a co-editor and designer from 1981-86. He has worked in collaboration with Jean Matthee, films NEXT
DOOR and DOUBLE DOORS 1981 and with
Roger Polley from 1980-2000, on photographic
projects, commissions, and film installations.
This work has been exhibited in many national
and international galleries, and also featured
on Channel 4.
Books and DVD’s published on the work
include the Structure of Chance, 1985, Spirit
of Nature, 1994, In Search of the Sacred, 2002,
Sequences, 2007, Ruskin’s Pond, 2010, Of the
Truth of Water- John Ruskin, 2010 (as editor),
Nature Reconstructed-Projects, Commissions
and Installations 1980 -2000, Roger Polley and
John Woodman 2023, Directory of Experimental Landscape Films and Videos, 2023, DVD’S: Landscape Films- John Woodman 1977-1982, published by LUX, UK, 2013 and Film Installations1979-1985, Roger Polley and John Woodman.
FRAGMENTS FROM TIME AND SPACE- Wholes and Parts:
Holon Images Derived From Films and Videos (2025 soft back, 2026 hardback). His recent work continues his investigation, through the observation of landscape and natural phenomena, of issues concerning representation, duration, and perception. Using a fixed frame and a hand-held camera, the work explores concerns of time-space and light, focusing on visual transformation, change, and transience. Working in ‘Real Time', particular emphasis is given to the way in which, through time, changes in light, weather and season affect our perception of space and place in film.
Consideration of reflexivity and the spectator’s phenomenological experience of viewing and the contemplation of video and film of long continuous duration is an important aspect of his work.
Currently appointed as an Honorary Research Fellow at the University of Cumbria.
Roger Polley
Originally trained as a sculptor, Roger Polley has developed a distinctive practice that combines photography, bookmaking, and three-dimensional construction. Working without digital manipulation, Polley transforms photographic images through processes such as scratching, cutting, layering, mark-making, and the addition of texture, creating works that challenge the conventional boundaries of photography.
Roger Polley's practice is rooted in the exploration of place, memory, and emotional response. Drawing inspiration from both urban and rural environments in the UK and abroad,
Polley seeks locations that evoke a strong
creative connection rather than simply
offering visual subject matter. The resulting
works balance mystery and revelation,
capturing an impression of experience rather
than a direct representation of reality. A
central aspect of his work is the creation
of self- published, one-off, and limited-edition
books, many of which incorporate sculptural
and three-dimensional elements. Influenced
by poetry, text, spirituality, and abstract
expressionism, performance, and installation
art, his practice continues to explore new
possibilities for photographic expression and
the physical form of the book.
© Roger Polley & John Woodman
© Roger Polley & John Woodman
