Photography exhibition captures ‘elemental emotion’ of Hornsea

Pictures by Steve Morantz

By Simon Bristow

An exhibition of impressionistic photographs taken around the coast of Hornsea has gone on display at Burton Constable Hall.

Hornsea, A Day at the Seaside, is an exhibition of 73 images by Hornsea-based photographer Steve Morantz.

Part of a wider project called Holderness Waveforms: Sea, Sand & Sky, the images were captured over the last year.

Introducing the exhibition, Steve said: “As a holiday destination perched on the edge of the fastest eroding coastline in the country, Hornsea has a special relationship with the sea.

“Seascapes are defined by restless waves, skies by dynamic winds, clouds, mists and spray, the beaches by ever-shifting sand, pools, and rocks. The shore can change shape overnight, the promenade left littered with heavy stones; fog can emerge in the summer to swallow bathers and freak waves can drench you on a seemingly calm day.

“The prints in the exhibition capture this relentless exchange and are filled with light and motion. The dynamic relationship between the elements is portrayed across 73 photographic images to create a composite day with two high tides, encompassing four seasons, including wild and calm seas. Human beings are seen in these images as small figures in the face of large-scale natural forces, as the watery world churns on with or without us.”

Steve has let the colours and shapes found in the original photographs emerge and dictate how the prints were processed and printed. There is a deliberate intention to “project the emotion that this special environment triggers”.

This is Steve’s first solo exhibition and is being held in the Gallery at Burton Constable Hall until March 19.