Newly published by Cornwall’s Ancient Magic Books, Deep Field presents a large collection of artist Tom Sewell’s photographs for the first time. Taken out on walks and mixed with images of daily life, the book reads as visual notebook to Tom’s main practice. It also includes several images of Tom’s sculptures and a beautiful foreword by the artist, who states: “The best I’ve got to hold on to outside my memory is these images.”

In the foreword, the artist continues:

“I saw a thousand images once 
But they were all wrong 
If I figured out who I was maybe I wouldn’t have to look
Time seems to present them to me
Image upon image
All a translation
Of something that’s already gone
A new thing from an old thing
Always stuck in a loop 
Back and forth 
Between and again
Whatever it is I watch out from
A brain an eye a mind
It seems like I’m going forward
And maybe I am
But also maybe I’m gone
At the same time
Lost and found 
Always looking
Always finding
Never being found

And everyone is just talking to their screens about what is in front of them on the computer as if there isn’t a supra-galactic great attractor drawing their bodies through space on a globe rotating beyond the speed of sound itself around an exploding ball of energy and the sky is full of water and weightless winged beaked bone bodies singing to their existence, which is also all of ours.

I want to live outside the world and look back in, wondering where the kindness went that I see so clearly in the blackbird on the telephone line, calling back into the the grid but not being heard. People stare at glittering sand, swift-written shouts, fear-cries from inside. There is an oak tree from a century ago softly sitting, grabbing clods and holding. Will it hold my son as I hold him and we dance towards tomorrow, growing together outside.”

Deep Field is available in a First Edition of 250 (£30) direct from Ancient Magic Books.

Established in 2020 in Cornwall, Ancient Magic is an independent publisher with a focus on handmade books and photography.