Sharpe’s Wood, commissioned by Impressions Gallery, was made over a period of four years and was the very first exhibition at our Centenary Square venue. 

Ever since she could remember, Liza Dracup has been fascinated by the magic of woods and forests. In Sharpe’s Wood, Dracup has turned her attention to a wood on the outskirts of a city. Photographing exclusively between sunset and sunrise, and often in the dead of night, these colour photographs tap into the varying nuances of darkness.

Dracup uses her camera to focus on the different rhythms of the night and seasons. The very elements of photography -time and light – are intrinsic to this work. We all have night blindness. Our limited vision means we are ill equipped to see deep into shadows – the camera understands more than us, the camera serves to enhance our ability to see. In Dracup’s hands the camera unlocks the door to another world; a world where the invisible becomes visible.

The city is Bradford, but this is of secondary importance – this could be woodland edges anywhere in Britain.  These large scale images present us with spaces of possibility where anything could, or may, happen.

Sharpe’s Wood engages us both physically and photographically with the night. These mysterious and beautiful images locate us firmly within the twilight zone of our memory and imagination. In this dreamscape of woodland we must confront our fears.

To find out more about Liza Dracup and her work, visit her website at www.lizadracup.co.uk