Tidal reverie

7 days ago
2 min read

Words by Hannah Tapping

A poetic exploration of landscape and a deeply sensual sense of place.

Seaton, Morvoren, 2025, Lucy Bentley — Seaton, Morvoren, 2025

Lucy Bentley is a nationally and internationally exhibited photographer based in the South West. Her visual language draws on the folklore of her native county, Cornwall, combined with a historical and environmental awareness to evoke a lingering sense of magic, and present the county in a fresh and altered light.

Her body of work Morvoren, Cornish for mermaid, reflects Lucy’s interest in local folklore, which originated from a childhood spent playing on Bodmin Moor near the site of the Hurlers stone circle, and the wonderfully strange geological formation of the Cheesewring, together with a current passion for wild swimming. Embarking on long unseasonal walks along some of the wilder stretches of the north and west Cornish coastlines, Lucy searched out mermaid pools, colour-drenched caves and abandoned mines to create an imaginatively resonant documentation of a Cornwall where a morvoren might still be fleetingly glimpsed through the play of light on water and fabled Cornish knockers sound in mineshafts.

Porthmeor, Morvoren, 2025 | Piper's Hole, Morvoren

Counterpointing a stark use of monochrome with vivid and unexpected splashes of colour, the images of Morvoren evince a fascination with the near-surreal and expressionistic possibilities of landscape and the natural world, unveiling hidden secrets. The land is imbued with personal significance, which the viewer is invited to share. Alternating between landscape and the use of tactile close-ups, the images offer an intimate and immersive experience. As well as making up Lucy’s first solo exhibition, the series has also been collated in a limited-edition handmade photobook.

A recent graduate in Photography at the University of the West of England, Lucy’s work has since been exhibited across the UK, including Swansea, Bristol, and London, as well as internationally, including as part of the Hungry Eye Fair in Amsterdam as a GUP Magazine Fresh Eyes Talent. 2025 also saw her debut solo exhibition closer to home with Toner Gallery, Penzance.

More of Lucy’s images can be viewed on her website, with prints available on request. The Morvoren photobook is available for purchase from Toner Gallery.

tonerpz.com

lucybentley.com