Angela Shaw

My focus recently has been on the state of our local rivers and chalk streams. As a visual storyteller, I document The Tale of Three Rivers, The Whitewater, The Blackwater and The Hart which all flow through the Surrey Hampshire borders. The chalk stream River Whitewater is carefully tended, inspiring hope and regeneration for the more neglected and polluted River Blackwater (once captured and diverted by the River Wey, now flowing back into the Loddon). The River Hart takes centre stage at the heart of this triptych display. Building relationships over time with the environment is the core of my practice. I have been observing these rivers through the seasons, the rains and the droughts. I hope to encourage viewers to care for their local streams and rivers which provide a unique ecosystem for biodiversity and are also important to human health. If the rivers are too polluted, they cannot be used to fill our reservoirs. The cycle of water is interrupted. Water is necessary for all life.