Affordable Small 16/50: AQUADURAL, (Birth in the Ocean), from Birth Undisturbed - Limited Edition Photograph

“The baby doesn’t come out into a cold world where the force of gravity strikes like the blow from a club. One warm, body-supporting liquid is exchanged for another. The transition to breathing air, to a life on dry land, takes place slowly and softly.” (Erik Sidenbladh, Water Babies). Today, images of birth copiously shared on social media might claim an exclusive modernity over birthing in water. But we lack imagery for its primitive history as early as 2700BC, when women of ancient Crete, Japan, South America and New Zealand were known to birth in shallow ocean and rivers. To our ancestors the benefits of cleanliness, pain relief and coolness must have been apparent, but the 1960s gave rise to a philosophical body of query on the deeper incentive. Siberian philosopher Igor Tjarkovsky, who delivered thousands of babies in water and believes we originate from the sea 3 billion years ago, claims that waterbirth optimises the newborn brain - a theory which may explain why Ancient Egyptians birthed their chosen priests in water. From the baby’s point of view, the continuity of environment going from one fluid to another, is said to pace the onslaught of traumatic new sensations of light, air, gravity and sound, putting the monumental first breath last, contributing to a calmer transition that will indelibly affect our lifelong “limbic imprint”. ‘Aquadural’ awarded by British Journal of Photography’s Portrait of Humanity 2018. Selected by Mother Art Prize 2018. On exhibition at Birth Rites Collection at Kings College London. ____ ‘Aquadural’ from award-winning fine art series Birth Undisturbed by Natalie Lennard, in Affordable Small Edition on POD Satin Paper at 35 x 47cm, limited to 50 +2AP. Artwork comes printed with 2cm border in addition to size stated, accompanied with a certificate of authenticity signed by the artist. Please note that onscreen Saatchi price includes shipping. Every image in Birth Undisturbed is Giclee printed with OEM 70+ year archival inks. The series is shot on world-class 100 megapixel Phase One IQ3 medium format to provide rich impeccable quality with exceptional detail on both screen and print. Also available in Medium, Large, XL & XXL sizes, please contact the artist. To see the accompanying video, please go to: https://www.birthundisturbed.com/aquadural

Photography:Color on Paper

Artist Produced Limited Edition of:50

Size:18.5 W x 13.8 H x 0 D in

Delivery Time:Typically 5-7 business days for domestic shipments, 10-14 business days for international shipments.