IMAGINATION SERIES

This project explores Britain’s legacy of innovation through a series of artistically interpreted patents, developed as part of the UK Foreign Office’s Great for Imagination campaign. Developed in close collaboration with photographer Ted Humble Smith and the intellectual property office throughout 2017, the work involved researching historic inventions and reimagining them as meticulously crafted visual narratives.

The work was realised through a process led approach, favouring in camera experimentation over post production. Light, materials, and physical construction were explored as active tools, allowing each image to evolve through making. This emphasis on experimentation became central to how innovation was interpreted and translated visually.

See the slider below for individual interpretation descriptions.

JET ENGINE

THE STEAM TURBINE

For this piece, we highlighted the pioneering work of Sir Charles Parsons, a visionary engineer who transformed the field of electrical engineering. In 1884, Parsons developed the multi-stage steam turbine, a device designed to convert high-pressure steam into mechanical energy. By allowing steam to expand gradually through a series of stages, Parsons’ design maximised energy extraction while preventing excessive turbine speeds that could damage the machinery. This groundbreaking innovation laid the foundation for modern power generation, with steam turbines now responsible for producing the majority of electricity worldwide. Our interpretation drew inspiration from the ingenuity and precision of Parsons' invention. We visualised the interplay of mechanical structure and energy flow using handcrafted effects, favoring our in-camera approach to image creation.

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