The project investigates urban metal pollution in local ecosystems. Focusing on the polluted stream at Ravenscourt Park in London, it brings together brass and small communities of riparian plants that grow along the banks of this contaminated waterway.

Metals in polluted waterways are absorbed by riparian plants, making them indicators of environmental contamination. Rather than using conventional photography, the project employs cyanotype contact printing to create images of the plants directly onto brass surfaces.

Collected plant specimens are placed on brass plates coated with a cyanotype solution and gelatin, then exposed to light. Through this process, the contours and traces of the plants are revealed. The interaction between plant matter, moisture, and metal records environmental conditions, with each brass plate producing a singular material response to both the vegetation and the specific site.

The resulting series of brass images traces ecological responses to metal pollution, vegetation, and material transformation. At its core, the project reflects on how materials can bear witness to the interaction of time and place, and how direct, material-based image-making can render visible the otherwise unseen processes unfolding within the urban landscape.