In 2012, Hamiltons Gallery presented its first exhibition of photographs by Gilles Bensimon, famed for his decades of work in photography, fashion, and culture. Watercolour is a series of images Bensimon had been working on for two years, marking a significant departure from this earlier figurative works.
Fascinated by the natural beauty of flowers, and by their intimate associations with myriad varieties of cultural expression around the world, Bensimon has both literally and metaphorically submerged himself - and untold volumes of freshly cut blooms - into pools of water to create amazing blossoms of colour.
The resulting images present a range of wonderful palettes, each created from three key elements which Bensimon combines to startling effect: the ravishing bouquets, his swift movements, and the chance reflections of light, filtered through a gauzy, watery surface.