Valda Bailey

EXPLORING NOT EXPLAINING

I am a freelance photographer, originally from Jersey in the Channel Islands but now living in East Sussex. I first became passionate about photography as a young teenager, although painting and drawing were my first serious creative interest.

My approach to photography is greatly informed by my background in painting. and my influences come as much from artists as photographers. I am primarily driven by an exploration of colour and form and the tension and dynamism that these components can bring to an image. Beyond that, I am interested in all manner of contrasts and contradictions and how they play out in the world around us. I lean towards imaginative abstraction and enjoy the challenges that present themselves when moving beyond the act of merely replicating what is in front of the lens.

The casual deployment of the brush that says so much, with such apparent ease is something I have always found extremely compelling. It could be argued that I’m setting myself up for failure before I even begin, by trying to make a photograph in a way that is more akin to painting. However, as the cameras today become more and more efficient, new challenges are needed and the joy of pushing against convention in search of my own voice is one that never fades.

I build up layers in my camera and so my workflow is an instinctive, stream of consciousness ramble through shape and colour, light and shade, rhythm and flow and unbridled imagination where each decision I make is predicated on the result of the last one. It is a totally immersive process where the possibilities are seemingly limitless.

I am represented by Sohn Fine Art in Lenox, Mass, MMX Gallery in London and Artsy and  Bosham Gallery online.