Kate Carpenter
@katecarpenter.bsky.social
Photographs about time, place and memory, much of it rooted in the experience of caring for relatives through their years of dementia. And trees, lots of trees.
Collaborations | commissions | books | prints | talks | workshops
www.katecarpenter.com
Collaborations | commissions | books | prints | talks | workshops
www.katecarpenter.com
Kirlian printing at @photofusionuk.bsky.social last weekend. We applied high voltage electricity to objects on photographic paper; the corona discharge, resulting from ionisation of the air, is recorded on the paper. This is dill and rosemary from my garden. So much fun!
November 9, 2025 at 9:24 AM
Kirlian printing at @photofusionuk.bsky.social last weekend. We applied high voltage electricity to objects on photographic paper; the corona discharge, resulting from ionisation of the air, is recorded on the paper. This is dill and rosemary from my garden. So much fun!
Saturday afternoon diptych
November 9, 2025 at 9:18 AM
Saturday afternoon diptych
The last photograph
Over the last five or so years I’ve taken a lot of photographs of (and with) my mother.
During Mum’s final days, I realised I wanted one more photograph before the end. I wanted it to be simple, serene and full of light.
I think she would approve this one.
Over the last five or so years I’ve taken a lot of photographs of (and with) my mother.
During Mum’s final days, I realised I wanted one more photograph before the end. I wanted it to be simple, serene and full of light.
I think she would approve this one.
September 27, 2025 at 8:17 PM
The last photograph
Over the last five or so years I’ve taken a lot of photographs of (and with) my mother.
During Mum’s final days, I realised I wanted one more photograph before the end. I wanted it to be simple, serene and full of light.
I think she would approve this one.
Over the last five or so years I’ve taken a lot of photographs of (and with) my mother.
During Mum’s final days, I realised I wanted one more photograph before the end. I wanted it to be simple, serene and full of light.
I think she would approve this one.
Bird between the icebergs
September 10, 2025 at 9:15 AM
Bird between the icebergs
Ancient ice histories
August 30, 2025 at 10:33 AM
Ancient ice histories
City of ice, with its ancient stories, drifting north in the current
August 26, 2025 at 4:51 PM
City of ice, with its ancient stories, drifting north in the current
I went to Greenland because I wanted to see the icebergs. The experience was extraordinary. ‘Time’s relentless melt’ writ large. Remarkable, and sobering, to think that these vast structures are so powerful and yet so transitory.
August 23, 2025 at 6:23 AM
I went to Greenland because I wanted to see the icebergs. The experience was extraordinary. ‘Time’s relentless melt’ writ large. Remarkable, and sobering, to think that these vast structures are so powerful and yet so transitory.
Sorting out my mother’s things. She did love window light from the north. This old fella must be 75 now.
August 6, 2025 at 10:57 AM
Sorting out my mother’s things. She did love window light from the north. This old fella must be 75 now.
I froze a set of Polaroids in a sheet of ice, and photographed it melting in the evening sun
July 30, 2025 at 5:59 AM
I froze a set of Polaroids in a sheet of ice, and photographed it melting in the evening sun
A fragment of new work about recent experience.
I’ve created a Substack blog to share snippets. Here’s the link if you’d like to subscribe.
open.substack.com/pub/kvcarpen...
I’ve created a Substack blog to share snippets. Here’s the link if you’d like to subscribe.
open.substack.com/pub/kvcarpen...
July 21, 2025 at 5:27 PM
A fragment of new work about recent experience.
I’ve created a Substack blog to share snippets. Here’s the link if you’d like to subscribe.
open.substack.com/pub/kvcarpen...
I’ve created a Substack blog to share snippets. Here’s the link if you’d like to subscribe.
open.substack.com/pub/kvcarpen...
I seem to be disproportionately sad about the falling of this old tree, dead for as long as I’ve known it, but still standing. It was a landmark, a waypoint, and felt like a dear old friend.
May 30, 2025 at 4:47 PM
I seem to be disproportionately sad about the falling of this old tree, dead for as long as I’ve known it, but still standing. It was a landmark, a waypoint, and felt like a dear old friend.
Blossoms on the compost heap
May 20, 2025 at 6:23 PM
Blossoms on the compost heap
Our wonderful, funny, kind, clever, vivacious mother has died. As many of you know, dementia robbed her slowly of that vivacity, and us of her, bit by tiny bit; every little loss another twist of the knife in our hearts.
April 7, 2025 at 8:12 PM
Our wonderful, funny, kind, clever, vivacious mother has died. As many of you know, dementia robbed her slowly of that vivacity, and us of her, bit by tiny bit; every little loss another twist of the knife in our hearts.
Mixing my metaphors
#memoryandforgetting #familystories #neurons #rosemaryforremembrance #oaktree #dementia
#memoryandforgetting #familystories #neurons #rosemaryforremembrance #oaktree #dementia
March 13, 2025 at 5:42 PM
Mixing my metaphors
#memoryandforgetting #familystories #neurons #rosemaryforremembrance #oaktree #dementia
#memoryandforgetting #familystories #neurons #rosemaryforremembrance #oaktree #dementia
Work in progress
March 6, 2025 at 6:04 PM
Work in progress
The empty chair (that isn’t empty)
From “If You’re Not Singing I’m Not Listening” - work in progress
From “If You’re Not Singing I’m Not Listening” - work in progress
March 2, 2025 at 2:35 PM
The empty chair (that isn’t empty)
From “If You’re Not Singing I’m Not Listening” - work in progress
From “If You’re Not Singing I’m Not Listening” - work in progress
Further experiments from “If You’re Not Singing I’m Not Listening”
We have very different sets of images that we are coming to see as ‘songs’ within a show. Ideas for threading them together are developing. The real life narrative is unfolding as we work and that makes it quite an emotional process.
We have very different sets of images that we are coming to see as ‘songs’ within a show. Ideas for threading them together are developing. The real life narrative is unfolding as we work and that makes it quite an emotional process.
March 1, 2025 at 12:30 PM
Further experiments from “If You’re Not Singing I’m Not Listening”
We have very different sets of images that we are coming to see as ‘songs’ within a show. Ideas for threading them together are developing. The real life narrative is unfolding as we work and that makes it quite an emotional process.
We have very different sets of images that we are coming to see as ‘songs’ within a show. Ideas for threading them together are developing. The real life narrative is unfolding as we work and that makes it quite an emotional process.
Scenes from my mother’s garden
February 28, 2025 at 7:08 AM
Scenes from my mother’s garden
Scenes from my mother’s garden
February 25, 2025 at 10:07 PM
Scenes from my mother’s garden
I don’t know who is in the empty chair but in my mother’s mind’s eye someone is there. She talks to them. She’s been talking to Dad and Aunty P too. (I prefer this to her asking where they are.) There are more - in particular, a little boy, who, she says, is much too young to be alone.
February 24, 2025 at 10:51 AM
I don’t know who is in the empty chair but in my mother’s mind’s eye someone is there. She talks to them. She’s been talking to Dad and Aunty P too. (I prefer this to her asking where they are.) There are more - in particular, a little boy, who, she says, is much too young to be alone.
Mum used to like a bit of Georgette Heyer back in the day (though if I recall it was something of a guilty pleasure).
We’ve just had to make the switch to downstairs living; the staircase is much too dangerous now. I found this lost, loose leaf under her bed when we moved it.
We’ve just had to make the switch to downstairs living; the staircase is much too dangerous now. I found this lost, loose leaf under her bed when we moved it.
February 23, 2025 at 3:23 PM
Mum used to like a bit of Georgette Heyer back in the day (though if I recall it was something of a guilty pleasure).
We’ve just had to make the switch to downstairs living; the staircase is much too dangerous now. I found this lost, loose leaf under her bed when we moved it.
We’ve just had to make the switch to downstairs living; the staircase is much too dangerous now. I found this lost, loose leaf under her bed when we moved it.