“We’re not fully able to reach a complete definition of what’s going on out there in the world, what we get is always a partial view – a glimpse, rather than the totality.”
- Susan Derges
Susan Derges is a British artist known for creating large scale photograms directly within natural environments, particularly rivers. Rather than photographing the water, she submerges photographic paper into the river itself at night and exposes it using flash or moonlight. The river physically inscribes its movement onto the paper - currents, bubbles, debris, and light all leave traces.
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What makes Derges' work conceptually significant is her surrender or control. While she determines the location, timing, and materials, she cannot control the tide, the flow, or the outcome. The river becomes a collaborator in the work. Each print is the result of a natural process that is both cyclical and unpredictable.
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Tides are scientifically predictable - their existence is expected. Yet no single movement of water is ever repeated in exactly the same way. Derges reveals that repetition does not equal sameness. Even within inevitable natural cycles, change is constant and irreproducible.
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This connects strongly to my own exploration of change. I am interested in why we only recognise it when it disrupts expectation. The shift from winter to spring, the rising and falling of a tide - these are seen as natural progression rather than change, because they are anticipated. Derges' work challenges this by making visible the subtle, continuous transformations that occur within predictable systems. Her images act as evidence that even the expected is never identical.
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Her practice also foregrounds presence and attention. The works require patience, darkness, and collaboration with time. They as the viewer to consider forces that usually go unnoticed - the movement of water, the trace of a drifting branch, the momentary reflection of the moon. By physically embedding the river's movement into the image, Derges collapses the boundary between documentation and event - the photograph is not a representation of change, but a direct imprint of it.
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In relation to my project, Derges informs my thinking around inevitability versus unpredictability. Her work supports my intention to encourage viewers to become more present and to reconsider the idea that expected change is somehow less significant. Even when something feels inevitable, it is never occuring in the same way again.
"Working in this way was an incredible learning curve for me. You’re feeling the temperature of the water, becoming aware of what’s below the surface, the strength of the current, the phases of the moon, the amount of ambient light."
-Susan Derges
“These photograms… are revelations of a particular and unrepeatable moment in nature.”
- Mel Gooding / Elemental
"Her photograms “freeze the continuous movement of river water and the branches of plant life hanging over it.”
- Megan Walsh / Musee Magazine
I like this piece of Derges' work with river photograms, across the left of the image there is a dark visible branch form which resembles a tree branch or roots extending into the frame, this divides the image diagonally, creating a strong organic line that contrasts with the lighter tones of the surrounding water.
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The rest of the image is filled with complex textures created by the movement of the river. Ripples, bubbles, and currents form intricate patterns that resemble veins, cracks, or frost like imagery. These marks vary in density and direction, suggesting the constant movement of water across the paper during the exposure.
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The colour and tonal palette is limited but effective. The darker branch acts as a focal point against the pale, almost glowing water surface. The patterns created by the river fill the frame completely, giving the image a sense of immersion and depth. There is no clear horizon or spatial orientation, which makes the viewer focus purely on the textures and forms created by natural movement.
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Although the image is abstract, it strongly suggests the presence of nature and the environment that produced it. The branch acts as a reminder of the landscape surrounding the river, while the delicate patterns of water movement reveal the invisible forces constantly shaping the environment.
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What makes this image particularly interesting is that it captures a single moment of movement within a continuous natural cycle. Rivers flow predictably and constantly, yet the exact formation of ripples, currents, and reflections in this image could never occur in exactly the same way again. The photograph becomes a trace of an unrepeatable moment within a system that appears repetitive.
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The image therefore represents the tension between predictability and uniqueness. The flow of a river is inevitable, but the exact arrangement of water at a specific second is entirely singular.
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What I find most compelling about this image is the level of detail within the water's surface. The intricate patterns created by the river feel almost biological, like networks of veins or microscopic structures. This makes the image feel both natural and slightly other worldly.
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I also like the contrast between the controlled presence of the branch and the chaotic movement of the water surrounding it. The branch feels stable and grounded, while the surrounding textures suggest constant motion and instability. This contrast draws attention to the dynamic nature of the environment.
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The image creates a sense of calm but also curiosity. Because there is no clear perspective or horizon, it encourages the viewer to slow down and look closely at the small details within the surface of the water.
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This work connects strongly to my investigation into how we perceive change. In my project I am exploring why we tend to only recognise change when it disrupts our expectations. Natural processes such as the flow of a river or seasonal transitions are usually seen as predictable and inevitable, so we often overlook the subtle variations within them.
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Derges' work challenges this idea by revealing the micro changes that exist within these predictable systems. Although the movement of the river is expected, the exact moment recorded in this image could never be repeated. The photograph makes visible the small variations that occur continuously but usually go unnoticed.
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Derges' work has influenced the way I think about photographing nature. Instead of simply documenting natural environments from the outside, she allows the environment itself to participate in the creation of the image.
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This idea of collaborating with nature rather than just observing it is something I find particularly interesting. It suggests that photography can capture change not only by recording it but by allowing natural forces to physically shape it.
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In my own project, this encourages me to think about ways of working with natural processes rather than just photographing them. By focusing on subtle changes that occur within predictable systems, I hope to create images that make viewers more aware of the constant transformation happening around them.