Last night's visit by Mark Mumford FRPS gave us a wonderful opportunity to see the work of a genuine artist of significant ability warp and weave the ordinary into outstanding dreamscapes.

This was truly one of the most interesting presentations given since I joined the club. Mark took photography beyond the club landscape of pretty, chocolate box images and competition fodder and gave a privileged insight into both his working practice and his creative approach. Showing often a relatively ordinary image he demonstrated the construction and creation of journeys into fantastic and alternative realities; certainly a mackerel sky will never look the same again.

Mark drew reference on several occasions to the work of Escher and his impossible staircases and doodling artist's hands, but there are many other influences there and I think René Magritte must be amongst them. The power of the work comes from the fact that there is so little surreal photography of quality around, the work is intricate and has to be both well conceived and well executed to succeed. Judging by the audience response I think that was achieved though some did express the fear that they might sleep less well that night. Art has always been personal for both the artist and the audience, you either enjoy it or you don't, you may guess that the writer enjoyed the work enormously.

(For any who missed the visit or would like to view some of the images again see Saatchiart).