Michael Collins

- An intriguing evocation of London's past through its present - Examines the rarely-travelled areas of marshland on London's outskirts, documenting their gradual urbanization The photographer Michael Collins, armed with a large-format camera, has spent years discovering traces of the past contained in the marshland landscapes just outside of London. The Hoo Peninsula is situated between the estuaries of the rivers Thames and Medway, one hour by car from central London. This narrow stretch of land is mainly made up of sand and clay hills. Nature there seems strangely inanimate, and the landscape is full of contrasts. But technology and industry are encroaching on the grazing sheep, the saltmarsh and the mud flats. Pylons dot the wilderness, in which shipwrecks have become an integral part of the scenery. Michael Collins visited the Hoo peninsula over several years, producing pictures inspired by the landscapes of 'plein air' painting. With their rich details, they deliberately follow the tradition of nineteenth century record pictures - archival images that were commissioned by the government to document the progress of industrialization.