Captured Whispers: A Journey Through Manx Beauty in Fleeting Moments

Capturing “tiny moments of beauty” serves as an inspiration for a fine art photographer whose artwork is set to be highlighted in an exhibition at Cambridge University.

As a creative media technician at University College Isle of Man, Sarah Callow has already showcased her work in a publication and in a coastal gallery exhibition this year.

In January, her work will be included among that of 100 artists in a display spanning four levels, with images printed on newsprint to mimic a newspaper layout.

Callow expressed that the project intrigued her as it involves “challenging the ideas of what it means to exhibit work or to be displaying within a gallery”.

The Shutter Hub Open, running at the Alison Richard Building, is scheduled from 13 January to 21 March.

Although she mentioned she had been “quite proactive” in broadening the visibility of her work, she still feels “very fortunate that I’ve been accepted and selected to participate in these incredible opportunities”.

When selecting projects to apply for, she perceived it as “finding the equilibrium of nudging yourself just enough out of your comfort zone, yet not too much that it feels overwhelming”.

However, she has recently felt compelled towards more innovative displays of her artwork, such as the Return to the Sea exhibition at the Sea Front Gallery in Sussex, which featured imagery displayed outdoors on billboards.

“I believe I have become quite passionate recently about creating more accessible art or attempting to attract a diverse audience, which has greatly interested me,” she stated.

“The audience’s interpretation of the piece is equally as significant as what I aimed to convey when crafting the work.

“As such, I enjoy immersing myself in environments that foster that dialogue or interaction between myself and a potential audience.”

This year-long exhibition, showcasing numerous international photographers, will continue until October 2025.

In addition to the exhibitions, Callow has had an image selected for a new publication, Food Stories, which required her to take some very…personal motivation manifested through a festive family custom.

The chosen photograph was captured during last year’s Marown Parish Christmas Afternoon Tea event.

She remarked: “We typically attend as a family each year and hold a gathering before Christmas, and I simply snapped some pictures while we enjoyed our afternoon tea, and one of those images was chosen.

“I don’t often take photographs of food, so I needed to find something that held some personal significance, or was meaningful in moments shared with individuals who matter to me.”

Nevertheless, the seemingly unremarkable frequently becomes the centerpiece of Callow’s creations.

“I enjoy searching for elements that we might overlook daily and fail to acknowledge,” she stated.

“Because there are minute instances of beauty occurring continuously around us that we simply don’t observe.”

However, Callow mentioned that the majority of her artistic process involves “securing something somewhat permanent that is fundamentally transient”.

“It’s an experience that won’t endure; it’s like a split-second moment, the way light illuminates a table, or the way someone gazes at that particular time and that might never reoccur, but you witnessed it in that instant and recorded it in such a manner that you can remember it and revisit it,” she explained.

“For me, it’s just about uniquely framing and perceiving the world.

“I believe creative pursuits in various forms are culturally significant, and as human beings, we must explore these dimensions of ourselves and the surrounding world, and photography manages this remarkably well.”

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