Rethinking the Image

See also: https://ysp.org.uk/art-outdoors/wilsis (Accessed: 2 May 2026).

It is virtually inconceivable to produce a great painting or sculpture without a considerable amount of effort and practice, but it is quite possible to take a great photograph by pure accident. This is not to say that photography is not a craft in and of itself; however, there are occasions when elements of reality align themselves perfectly in front of the camera lens without any conscious input from the person behind it. This, I believe, is what happened when I took this photograph on a hot afternoon at Yorkshire Sculpture Park in July 2018.

The shaded foreground of the photograph is populated by a varied range of fauna, gradually coming into focus as it gives way to the gently shimmering lake, where ducks bob their heads underwater in search of food. The lake carries reflections of the luscious trees beyond, projecting their colours with impressionistic beauty.

On the far side of the lake, the reflection of light on the water forms a horizontal plane of dazzling whiteness, bisecting the image. Further in the distance, perfectly framed by a bullrush in the foreground and a tree in the background, is Jaume Plensa’s Wilsis (2016) – a cast iron sculpture of a female head, measuring over seven metres in height.^[1]

With her closed eyes and her peaceful expression, Wilsis embodies a state of tranquil reflection, yet there is an intriguing, ludic twist. When viewed from a frontal perspective (as in this photograph), she appears realistically three-dimensional; it is only when you reach the other side of the lake and begin to walk around the sculpture that its flattened perspective becomes apparent.^[1]

Wilsis serves as a great example of the possibilities of sculpture – not only of its capacity to engage the viewer, but also of the way in which it can complement, or perhaps even enhance, our enjoyment and appreciation of its environment. Here, the blissful expression of Wilsis resonates with our own responses to nature.

Ultimately, I feel that this photograph is a success not only because it mirrors the sculpture’s sense of depth, but also because it seems to perfectly communicate the feelings of peace, harmony, and balance that the sculpture evokes – not deliberately, but purely by chance.

[1] Yorkshire Sculpture Park (no date) Jaume Plensa: Wilsis. Available at: https://ysp.org.uk/art-outdoors/wilsis (Accessed: 2 May 2026).