Snorkeler (After Misrach), Maui, Hawaii 2011

David Burdeny’s photograph, *Snorkeler (After Misrach), Maui, Hawaii,* gives us a wide expanse of the Pacific ocean, a process of gradual shifts in colour and tone. Burdeny isn't splashing around with paint, but he is controlling light and colour in a way that reminds me of Agnes Martin. It’s so meditative, the way the water shimmers from a deep turquoise into a light sandy yellow as it meets the shore. The lone snorkeler is a small dark blot in this wash of colour. Think about the idea of being immersed in a huge expanse and how, in a strange way, it gives the photograph a really intimate feel. The ocean is everything, and the snorkeler is just one small part of it. Like Jeff Wall, Burdeny is interested in how photography can evoke a sense of cinematic scale and stillness. It's not just a snapshot; it's a carefully composed scene that invites us to slow down and contemplate our place in the world.