"Southam's detailed panoramas capture the marks of time embedded in his chosen terrain. Over a period of months, often years, he photographs in specific weather conditions. The results of his objective focus, presented in a series of monumental photographs, present a narrative at the meeting point of both natural and social histories. " Tate -

Early in the morning, before breakfast and the beginning of the workday, photographer Jem Southam takes to the countryside of southwest England, visiting and revisiting the hills and dales of Bristol, Cornwall, Devon, and Somerset.
His lyrical photographs of these places, taken in series over long periods of time, chart the subtle evolution of this picturesque countryside as it has been transformed by both natural processes and human intervention. Ostensibly topographic and descriptive, each achieves a greater power thanks to an allegorical language that draws on our collective imagination.

Essays by Andy Grundberg and Gerry Badger.