Artist Statement
My photographs emerge at the crossroads of people, places, and events. When I find a scene with photographic potential, I look for the dance of light and shadow, the meeting of lines and shapes. Humanity is sometimes present, but often it’s just a quiet echo of its presence. This location holds significance for me, where moments have unfolded—some mine, others from lives that have passed through. In black and white, the scene evokes nostalgia, while the water, softened by a four-minute exposure, encircles this totem, creating space for memory, reflection, and recollection.

The intersection I aimed to capture in this photograph is not just visual or compositional; it is woven into my being. It resonates with experiences that linger within me and with the memories of others familiar with this place. If you recognise it, your own nostalgia surfaces. I love that it serves as a vessel for stories: of recent yesterdays and the distant past when the first custodians walked these grounds. Layers upon layers of intersection, countless.

The work, echoing the idea of memory as a journey, is presented in a letterbox format on a wide sheet of cotton rag paper, framed in fine black. As F. Scott Fitzgerald concludes The Great Gatsby, “So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past,” this photograph serves as a poignant reminder that no matter how far we progress, we are inevitably drawn back to the places and moments that shaped our lives.

Edition of 2
Image size 800x200mm centered on 900x635mm paper size. Finished frame size 938x673mm.
Giclée Archival Print on 310gsm Cotton Rag Paper. The frame is hand made in Australia from sustainable Victorian Ash frame using acid free foamboard and Museum UV Plexiglas



Bio
Australian landscape and portrait photographer Paul Foley believes a photograph isn’t truly real until you can touch it.
His photography witnesses his fascination with light and shadow, documenting both natural and human experiences.
After a 35-year career in commercial photography, Paul now photographs freely, unburdened by briefs and corporate mood boards.
His work has been recognised in numerous prizes and awards, including as a finalist in the 2025 Galah Regional Photography Prize and the National Photographic Portrait Prize in 2011.
Paul has also been selected for several ‘Mosman 2088’ exhibitions and group exhibitions in Glasgow, Tokyo, Newcastle, and China.  His work has been exhibited individually and collaboratively in Sydney and Newcastle.