Towards the end of February I had the opportunity to exhibit work from my project What Lies Beneath: Revealing Hidden Landscapes at The Green Gallery in Dundee Botanic Gardens. The exhibition came together at short notice after I stepped in to fill an available slot, which meant there was limited time for promotion. Even so, the chance to present the work in a dedicated gallery space was hugely valuable.
What Lies Beneath is an ongoing project that uses aerial photography to explore how Scotland’s landscapes are shaped by land use and human activity. Photographed from directly above, the images remove the traditional horizon associated with landscape photography, revealing patterns, textures and traces of human presence that are often overlooked from the ground.
Seeing the photographs together on the wall gave me a fresh perspective on the project. Being able to curate the installation myself created an opportunity to experiment with placement and the relationships between images, revealing connections in pattern, texture and subject that are not always obvious when viewed in isolation.
While visitor numbers were modest, partly due to the time of year and the gallery’s location within the gardens where access can occasionally be a little complicated, this was balanced by the opportunity to attend the Art & Nature Collective AGM during the exhibition period. Walking down to the gallery with other members and sharing the work in person led to thoughtful conversations and very encouraging feedback.
The response to the work has given me a real boost in confidence and reinforced the direction the project is taking. Just as importantly, the exhibition helped me connect with other members of the Collective, and several conversations have already begun around potential collaborations and future opportunities.
Although modest in scale, the exhibition proved to be a valuable step for the project. It offered the chance to see the work as a coherent body and to reflect on where What Lies Beneath might go next.
Visit: https://whatliesbeneath.uk
Richard Cross March 2026