Barbara Cole turned a newsroom fashion job into a decades-long photography practice. In this new episode of the Artalogue, Madison chats with the award winning photographer Barbara Cole about her unorthodox journey to the dark room.
Cole's first memories of art were at the theatre, which makes sense when you look at her gorgeous and theatrical photographs. She was initially inspired by the British artist Sarah Moon and the painterly way she conceived her photographs. From there she learned by doing: running lights off generators, hand-painting prints, collaging archival imagery, and eventually mastering a practice that treats film and digital as complementary tools.

Cole shares more about Impermanence, her new show with Bau-Xi gallery. black-and-white underwater series shot through the surface with a Rolleiflex while a summer storm tried to drown the set. The result is a study in blur, breath, and transition with figures suspended in dreamy, watery underworlds. Cole worked with a young designer to create outfits specifically for this shoot. As well as creative peaks, we talk about some creative troughs: fear between projects, the discipline of shooting without expectation and mental health struggles.

If you’re chasing a singular voice, this conversation delivers practical insight: how to find honest gesture, why gear isn’t always the answer, and how finding your own style through experimentation can create a timeless look.

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