OPEN ECO: Bill Brooks, Twelfth Hole, 2024

I am a photographer and printmaker. My work explores the contemporary landscape; how that landscape has been affected by those who have gone before us and how it impacts the lives of those who occupy it today.

One of the consequences of climate change is that extremes of weather behaviour are becoming increasingly common. This photograph shows one example: flooding in Bognor Regis, where a local golf club was underwater for many months. Many homes and business were also flooded in the surrounding area, leading to much personal hardship as well as loss of amenity and road closures. Following this event, a planning application for the construction of 500 new homes was rejected, exacerbating a shortage of local affordable housing. Climate change isn’t just about melting ice - it is already changing our lives here in Sussex.

My work has centred around the photography of the landscape and the natural world for many years. Following my retirement in 2014 I devoted more time developing my photographic practice and in 2022 received my MA (Distinction) in Photography from the University of Brighton. I am currently chairman of Independent Photography in the South-East of England (IPSE). I live in Felpham (West Sussex) in the UK.

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Photo Fringe invited artists to propose a single image to engage audiences and help us imagine a greener, fairer world. Artists were asked to respond to the question “How can photography make a difference to the climate crisis?"

The resulting outdoor exhibition of selected images by nineteen artists can be found on Brighton seafront next to the Upside Down House until 17 November 2024.

See all of the images together here

Created with funding from Arts Council England National Lottery Project Fund and the UK government and Brighton & Hove City Council through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. With print sponsorship from SAS Graphics.

Thanks to our judges Siân Berry, MP and Laura Summerton, Photography Manager, WaterAid.