A new lens is brought to familiar ground in May 2023 with Light Struck, an exhibition of photographic works by photographer and artist Ellen Carey taking place at England’s birthplace of photography, Lacock Abbey, former home of William Henry Fox Talbot.

Known for her work with Polaroid and named by the Royal Photographic Society in 2019 as one of their ‘Hundred Heroines’ of photography, Carey’s work takes the viewer through a two centuries arc of photographic discovery. Using light and colour as guide and creator, Carey’s pieces are created entirely within the ‘black box’ of a colour darkroom. Modern Polaroid is combined with Henry Fox Talbot’s contact print to find common ground with pre-digital and digital techniques. Light Struck also features an entirely new piece created especially for Lacock, using Fox Talbot’s ‘Cascade of Spruce Needles’ photogram from 1839.

With new technologies pushing the boundaries of photography more than ever before, Light Struck playfully invites you to ponder the questions: ‘how is this made?’ and ‘what exactly is photography in the 21st Century?’ As Carey comments, ‘when light becomes visible the object speaks.’ Expect a celebration of light, colour and playfulness within a burst of creativity and invention.

27 May until 31 March 2024. Normal admission applies, free for National Trust members.