Susan Derges

Susan Derges (b. 1955) is a British photographic artist celebrated for her innovative camera-less photography, or photograms. She creates her stunning, painterly images by using the natural landscape itself as a darkroom. In a process that directly connects the artist with nature, Derges submerges large sheets of light-sensitive paper in rivers or shorelines at night and uses the light of the moon or a flashlight to make an exposure. Her work explores the relationship between the self and nature, capturing the continuous movement of water and the intricate forms of plants and organisms. Derges’s photographs are held in major collections, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, and her series like River Taw have solidified her reputation as a pioneer in contemporary photographic art.