Interview

Written By Editorial Team

Sandy Coburn

Sandy Coburn is an American fine art photographer currently based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Her work is immersive and otherworldly, defined by vivid colour, resonance, and presence across landscapes, wildlife, and cultural architecture. Treating colour as a subject in its own right, she creates large-scale photographic works that transform fleeting moments into enduring art. Her photography has been exhibited at the World Bank Land and Poverty Conference and featured in Exposed DC and Celebre Magazine. Upcoming exhibitions include the Untitled Art Fair in London, the Edinburgh Art Fair, and Vanishing Points: Art Beyond Boundaries with Chrissy Moore Art Advisory. Sandy Coburn is represented by Chrissy Moore Art Advisory and is currently expanding her exhibition presence internationally, building on a UK foundation to connect with collectors, galleries, and audiences across cultures and borders.

What is your background and how did you start your journey in the art world?

“It began in Sichuan, China, when I first encountered the glacial waters of Jiuzhaigou — turquoise rivers framed by amber autumn leaves. I was captivated by the colours and by the serenity in a world that rarely stands still, and I took photograph after photograph to preserve that beauty. From then on, I knew photography was my calling. Years later, while working in global development, I was entrusted by USAID to document changemakers across Africa, Asia, and Eastern Europe. Photography became a skill that set me apart — colleagues referred to my images as ‘the gift that keeps on giving’ because they conveyed dignity and intimacy, and were repeatedly used to tell the human interest story of global development. I travelled to seven countries across three continents for this work, experiences that deepened my ability to navigate diverse cultures and environments with respect. My path as an artist has been independent, shaped more by experience than formal training. Along the way, my photography has been exhibited internationally, including at the World Bank Land and Poverty Conference, and recognised with awards that affirmed its impact. In 2025, I relocated to Edinburgh — a city of my ancestors, steeped in culture and surrounded by wilderness — to dedicate myself fully to fine art photography. That lens of respect and wonder continues to guide my work, whether I am capturing landscapes shaped by wind and time, cultural architecture worn smooth by centuries, or animals whose personalities leap from their portraits.”

What inspires you?

“I am inspired by colour and by the way light transforms a subject. Jewel tones — sapphire waters, turquoise ice, ochre cliffs, the deep blues of a painted city — can make a landscape or an architectural detail feel both surreal and timeless. For me, colour is a subject in its own right, capable of carrying emotion and atmosphere. Wildlife also inspires me — particularly animals with expressive eyes and larger-than-life personalities. A seal pup’s playful glance, the quiet bonds between penguins, or the curiosity of lemurs all remind us of connection across species. These portraits capture character as vividly as any human portrait, inviting warmth and conversation wherever they are shown. Ultimately, I am inspired by fleeting moments: light shifting across stone, an animal’s gaze, a reflection in water. My work is rooted in place, often created in environments that are remote, fragile, or fleeting. Preserving these instants allows them to live on as works of art that immerse the viewer in wonder and invite them to see the world anew.”

What themes do you pursue? Is there an underlying message in your work?

“Preservation is at the heart of my work. Glacial waters, coastal cliffs, desert light, or a colony of penguins — these are places and lives shaped by fragile balances of time and environment. By capturing them in the moment, I preserve not only their beauty but their presence. Nature is the foundation, but it is also a dialogue with culture. Incan terraces, Tibetan prayer flags, or Moroccan tilework echo the forms and colours of the landscapes around them, showing how artisans across centuries have mirrored nature in their designs. My photography carries those connections forward, reminding us of how deeply entwined human creativity and the natural world truly are. The message is one of reverence: these moments will pass, but preserved in art, they can endure and continue to inspire.”

How would you describe your work?

“My work is immersive and otherworldly, defined by vivid colour, scale, and atmosphere. I create photographs that are more than moments — they are visual environments: shimmering turquoise streams, the watchful gaze of a puffin, or the symmetry of an archway that holds memory across centuries. Landscapes are often ethereal and surreal, shaped by elements of water and stone. Teardrop shapes in blue and white echo through Chile’s Marble Caves, Miocene towers crown Patagonia, and mountains embrace lakes that sparkle like gemstones. These are places where nature feels both fragile and infinite, and where fleeting light can transform geology into something resembling a dreamscape. In cultural photography, I am drawn to historic architecture and the artistry woven into everyday spaces. A Moroccan doorway bathed in afternoon sun, the intricate tilework revealed by shifting shadows — these moments of design and colour bring the structures’ stories forward through time, showing how human creativity often mirrors the patterns of nature. Presented as large statement pieces of museum quality — often on acrylic glass — my work is designed to transform spaces. Each photograph is an immersive portal, preserving fragile instants so they can continue to inspire, spark conversation, and carry wonder into the environments where they are shown.”

Which artists influence you most?

“In visual art, I’ve long admired Yayoi Kusama for her ability to transform space through repetition and color, and Laurie Anderson for the way she weaves narrative into artistic environments. I also consider fashion as art — Yves Saint Laurent’s bold palettes, the avant-garde spirit of punk, and the theatrical stylings of David Bowie all resonate with my fascination for colour, symmetry, and expressive design. Among photographers, Ansel Adams’ landscapes were formative, though where he found surreal power in black and white, I seek it in colour. I also admire the contemporary work of Matt Payne, Max Rive, Edwin Mooijaart, and Cath Simard, whose landscapes blend technical mastery with dreamlike atmosphere. In wildlife photography, Ami Vitale, Cristina Mittermeier, Paul Nicklen, and Andy Parkinson have influenced me deeply, showing how animals can be portrayed with both intimacy and grandeur. And in editorial photography, I am inspired by Robin Hammond’s Where Love Is Illegal project, Zanele Muholi’s Inkanyiso, and the portraiture of Deana Lawson and Dorothea Lange — all of whom demonstrate photography’s power to hold space for dignity and story. Finally, I am influenced by artists like Oliver Laude and Brooke Shaden, whose painterly, staged work reminds me that photography can also be allegorical — a medium not only of documentation but of imagination.”

“My work is immersive and otherworldly, defined by vivid colour, scale, and atmosphere. I create photographs that are more than moments — they are visual environments: shimmering turquoise streams, the watchful gaze of a puffin, or the symmetry of an archway that holds memory across centuries.”

What is your creative process like?

“My process begins long before I arrive at a location. I study the art that inspires me — photography, painting, fashion, and design — because you never know which influences will resurface behind the lens. I also research each destination carefully, often working with local partners to understand the rhythms of light and season. For landscapes, I plan in advance, knowing which scenes call for the soft blues of dawn or the golden light of evening, and which filters, lenses, and settings will bring them to life. In cultural photography, I think with my feet. I move through a space like a prowling cat, circling doorways, walking passageways, shifting perspective until the scene reveals itself. Sometimes it’s the smallest detail — a floral motif on brass — and other times it’s the sweep of symmetry that seems to stretch into infinity. I am drawn to artisanship — the overlooked details of tile, metalwork, or carving that carry the signatures of makers across centuries. Their work often shapes a building’s legacy as much as the architect, and I aim to give those details equal presence in my photography. Wildlife requires a different rhythm. I spend hours waiting, giving animals the space to settle and feel at ease. With seals, that meant choosing to set the camera aside when mothers seemed nervous. When animals are comfortable, their personalities emerge: a penguin returning from its morning fishing expedition, or a lemur dropping from the trees to get a better look at my lens. Editing is the final stage of my process. It allows me to amplify the qualities that first drew me in — light, colour, intimacy — so the final work feels as immersive on the wall as it did in the moment. Ultimately, my process strikes a balance between planning and presence, patience and intuition. Each step ensures that the finished photograph is not only an image of what I saw, but an invitation into how it felt to be there — preserved as art that continues to inspire long after the moment has passed.”

What is an artist’s role in society and how do you see that evolving?

“Art’s role is to balance the tension between logic and feeling. So much of life is framed by facts, data, and pragmatism, but art prioritises resonance, presence, and imagination. It also thrives in defiance — challenging norms, breaking rules, and reshaping our perspective on the world. The truth of art lies in the push and pull: the jolt of confrontation followed by the slower unfolding of recognition and understanding. Art also cultivates empathy. Some of the most powerful art has come from the margins, from voices and contributions that society overlooked. Boldness in art creates visibility, and visibility invites compassion. For me, vivid colour is one expression of that boldness — a conscious refusal to be small, an insistence that beauty and feeling deserve to be noticed. Connection is another essential role of art. A poem, a performance, a painting, or a photograph — created in one place or at one time — can carry resonance across cultures and generations. Nature itself provides some of the greatest art: glaciers carved by time, deserts painted with light, animals whose personalities emerge like portraits. These subjects hold both fragility and power, reminding us of the artistry already alive in the world. I believe artists hold responsibility. Our role is not only to express but also to preserve and give back. Whether through portraying dignity and consent, honouring craft, or showing the vulnerability of a species or a landscape, art reminds us of what is worth protecting. In a world overwhelmed by imagery, the artist’s role is to create work that endures — work that connects us not only to what we see, but to what we feel, and to the shared humanity that makes those experiences matter.”

Have you had any noteworthy exhibitions you'd like to share?

“My work has been exhibited internationally, including at the World Bank Land and Poverty Conference, and featured in Exposed DC, and Celebre Magazine. These experiences affirmed the resonance of my photography across audiences and contexts. This year marks an exciting new chapter. I will be showing at the Untitled Art Fair in London (5–7 September 2025), the Edinburgh Art Fair (19–21 September 2025), and Vanishing Points: Art Beyond Boundaries, a curated exhibition with Chrissy Moore Art Advisory (15–20 October 2025). Each of these exhibitions presents a new opportunity to share immersive large-scale works with collectors, curators, and galleries. Looking ahead, I am expanding internationally, carrying forward my UK foundation and continuing to connect with audiences across cultures and borders.”

 
Editorial Team
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