Derived from the Latin name for nitric acid, aqua fortis, the show’s title, Strong water, references the artist’s fascination with chemistry and transformation. Iodine – a light-sensitive element that played a key role in early photography – and light – the generative agent of all photography – take centre stage in the opening room of the exhibition. Bottled in bespoke vessels, an iodine solution transforms the space, bathing it in an orange-tinged hue as natural light filters through from the Victorian skylights above.
Composed of subtle, multilayered works, Strong water offers the opportunity to see a milestone exhibition by this early career already gaining significant attention. Through Faulkner’s embrace of alchemy and chance, its images emerge as if discovered – distilling and suspending fleeting moments of time and space.