Submerged – Pool Ladies, London, 1987 Photographer: Michael Joseph Medium: C-type photographic print Paper size: 40 × 30 cm Orientation: Landscape Original photograph: London, 1987 Dreamlike, mysterious and almost otherworldly, this striking image comes from Michael Joseph’s extraordinary Pool Ladies series, photographed in London in 1987. Two women float with their eyes closed, their faces emerging serenely through the movement of the water. One appears upright, the other inverted, creating a wonderfully disorientating composition in which it becomes difficult to tell where reflection ends and reality begins. The unusual blue tonality gives the photograph an almost cyanotype-like quality, while the C-type printing process retains the richness and subtle detail of the original image. Water becomes both subject and abstraction: ripples, reflections and bodies merge into an image that feels simultaneously photographic and painterly. There is something beautifully peaceful about the women themselves. Amidst all the turbulence and texture of the water, their closed eyes give the photograph an extraordinary sense of stillness - as though they are momentarily inhabiting another world. Part of Michael Joseph’s lesser-known archive beyond his famous commercial commissions, this image demonstrates his fascination with the human figure, unusual viewpoints and carefully constructed compositions. Presented as a 40 × 30 cm C-type print, it is a bold contemporary presentation of an evocative image from Michael Joseph’s 1980s archive. An unusual, hypnotic photograph - part portrait, part abstraction, and unmistakably Michael Joseph. #MichaelJoseph #PoolLadies #BritishPhotography #VintagePhotography #FineArtPhotography #CollectiblePhotography #SignedPhotography #LondonPhotography #1980sPhotography #SwimmingPhotography #ArtPhotography #PhotographyCollector #PhotographicArt #ClaphamCommon #MichaelJosephArchive