Meg Cowell’s hauntingly beautiful photo series To the Surface captures stunning period dresses as spectral figures floating through darkness. The artist submerges the feminine garments in water and photographs them against black velvet. Each one resembles a ghostly Ophelia rising from the brook amongst the willows. For Cowell, the journey each gown makes to the water’s surface represents a psychological transformation. The photos are also an exploration of her own femininity. See more of Cowell’s ghostly gowns, which we first learned about on Lost at E Minor, in our gallery. Listen to a brief interview with the artist to learn more about the work.
Photo credit: Meg Cowell
Photo credit: Meg Cowell
Photo credit: Meg Cowell
Photo credit: Meg Cowell
Photo credit: Meg Cowell
Photo credit: Meg Cowell
Photo credit: Meg Cowell
Photo credit: Meg Cowell
Photo credit: Meg Cowell
Photo credit: Meg Cowell