Roger Ackling Voewood 1999 sunlight on wood (c) the artists estate
The Pier Arts Centre Collection. Photograph Mike Davidson

SUNLIGHT is the first survey of Roger Ackling (1947–2014), celebrating one of the most quietly influential British artists of the late twentieth century. For four decades, Ackling made sculpture by burning lines onto wood, focusing sunlight through a hand-held magnifying glass. Collecting driftwood and discarded materials from the margins, he took little from the world, leaving behind only a wisp of smoke. His process, both sculptural and photographic, transformed sunlight into energy. Within this seemingly simple method, he created work remarkable for its consistency and variation, imbuing found materials with an intense yet delicate presence.

SUNLIGHT: Roger Ackling is curated by Amanda Geitner and is developed in partnership with the Artist’s Estate, Annely Juda Fine Art, Norwich Castle Museum & Art Gallery, the Henry Moore Insititute and the Pier Arts Centre.