About
My first encounter with the Greek Cyclades islands in the south Aegean sea was in 1974 at the age of ten. Arriving from much fresher London, the Mediterranean climate was decidedly alien to my English sense of weather and I remember looking up at the infinite blue in disbelief wondering when the clouds would arrive. The taste of a pizza in a quiet alleyway behind the small port of Ios one night that first year is still memorable, so powerful was the flavour of freshly picked, wild oregano. As a boy, my father’s involvement in the world of scuba diving inspired my fascination for underwater exploration. In those early years, too young for breathing equipment, I learned to freedive, over time developing a knowledge of the marine life and whereabouts of amphorae and shipwrecks, some fossilised in rocks, one breath at a time. When the winds blew in excess, I’d continue exploration on land trekking distances over ancient footpaths to the tops of distant hills and mountains, and areas of remoteness inside hidden valleys searching always for signs of the past.
1974
Read my essay It All Began With Ios in INSIGHTS GREECE magazine.
“From the age of ten, Wilman has been a frequent visitor to the Cyclades. He freedived, climbed and hiked in the Cyclades to learn about the beauty and capture the scenery along the way with his camera. Since 2014, Wilman has devoted himself to photography. This Cyclades photography exhibition (in Milan 2019) also pays tribute to Professor Angelos Delivorias, a famous archaeologist from Greece and an academician of the Academy of Athens . He served as the director of the Benaki Museum from 1973 to 2014, and passed away in 2018. The islands in the photo exhibition include Anafi, Santorini, Ios, Sikinos, Folegandros, Polyegos, Kimolos, Milos, Sifnos, Serifo And Kythnos. … A few days ago, Greek News Agenda interviewed Wilman about his artistic techniques, perception of beauty and creative motivation.”
Embassy of Greece in Beijing
Poseidon At Play
Familiarity with the islands’ weather conditions has become instinctive, and navigating alone at twilight comes to mind. A northern gale of unexpected fury causes oncoming waves to reach alarming proportions making safe arrival at a distant harbour less certain from where I’m sat observing further out at sea. A few solitary lights from isolated homes appear twinkling a message of courage which intensifies my focus and with it the urgency to block out fear. Now my only interest is effectively traversing these cascading giant walls that crash incessantly all around, threatening to engulf or overturn the inflatable boat in an instant.
My engine cut without warning, a fuel pipe perforated to blame; against this force of threatening madness immediacy was my aim.
Personal Odyssey
An occasion to remember 300m far from shore, the Meltemi roaring with hysteria as I’d never felt before. My engine cut a without warning, a fuel pipe perforation to blame; against this force of threatening madness immediacy was my aim: dragging the curve-headed anchor with its lengthy heavy line down below the surface over sand so infinitely fine, in a charcoal coloured wetsuit with mask of equal tone strapped too tightly on in haste now hurting to the bone. Matching fins in graceful grey worked well at deeper depths but close they were to snapping here as they flexed to give their best. As was witnessed by the Milky Way in surroundings black as tar long, long ago, a July by now so far.
Tough but wonderful are nature’s ways, and how I learn from them.
Challenged
Deep water freediving can be exhausting when currents of unexpected strength take hold; any energy remaining works to overcome that potentially fatal sensation of lazy dizziness for a safe return to air.
Tough but wonderful are nature’s ways, and how I love to learn from them.
“Philhellene photographer Mark Wilman, creator of a successful six-year project and book ‘Discovering The Beauty of the Cyclades’ describes his first trip on Ios. … His evocative photography and writing transport you to the heart of the Cycladic culture, landscapes and colours. … As a child, the Londoner with Caribbean blood went to Ios on his first Cycladic island experience, described here. This personal story about Ios kicks off a narrative series created by him especially for IN+SIGHTS GREECE and will run over the next few weeks.”
IN+SIGHTS GREECE
Episkopi Church in Sikinos
‘‘The photographic project Discovering The Beauty Of The Cyclades by W. M. Wilman pays tribute to the electric blue of the Aegean, the shapes and colours of rocky landscapes, beauty in its variety of physical forms and expressions above and below the water line. … Read Greek News Agenda’s interview with Mark Wilman on the reasons behind his interest in these islands, his artistic approach and his thoughts on beauty.’’
Embassy of Greece in UK
London & Milan
Originally from the Notting Hill area of London, though with origins also in the Caribbean, I spent many years in Milan following a career as a lecturer and consultant with a client list that included high level professionals such as a world famous Italian fashion designer - influential in my choice of elegance for the Beauty of the Female Kind galleries; Università degli Studi di Milano (University of Milan) where I lectured to PhDs, researchers and professors; national and multinational organisations in a variety of sectors, particularly the legal field, and advertising where I collaborated with the principal international agencies, working with many of the top creative minds in Italy for two decades.
Milan also brought about a personal introduction to an internationally famous Italian artist known for his hyperrealistic sculptures and satire, an encounter with a decisive impact.
MILAN CRICKET CLUB
Me the batsman …
As photographer for the Milan Cricket Club, I developed experience in capturing human movement, something decidedly useful in the Cyclades project where the female form interacts with her natural surroundings. Cricket isn’t easy to capture photographically since in a split second the scene has totally changed from motionless to madness, with the ball difficult to see through a camera viewfinder because of its size and dark colour.
Milan also brought about a personal introduction to an internationally famous Italian artist known for his hyperrealistic sculptures and satire, an encounter with a decisive impact. Having held regular meetings in an office inside an impressive Liberty style building in the city centre in which a piece of artwork by the Paduan was placed - and even getting locked inside on one occasion by an unknowing caretaker - a natural curiosity arose inside me: the artist was always close in presence, i.e. the artwork, but never in person. This changed one winter afternoon when I found him busily writing at a desk and was introduced by a creative director also present. There was an aura of brilliance about the man, highly individual and challenging. As a consequence, I began questioning more closely my own ideas regarding visual expression.
“Greece goes… Milan: The photos that promote the Cyclades. The British photographer Mark Wilman talks to ELLE.gr about his photographic project that presents the beauty of the Aegean in Italy.”
ELLE Greece
ELLE is a worldwide lifestyle magazine.
In the late 1990s, I met, by chance, a former U.S. President on a beach in the Cyclades. The ex-leader was curious and welcoming and after talking for some minutes, surrounded by many of his family members and security guards in bathing costumes, he introduced me, with my young son in arms, to a man close by, already important on the world stage, who would later become Secretary of State of the United States. That unexpected experience was decisive in encouraging me to focus as high as possible from then onwards: if the top had welcomed me then that’s where I should aim!
“How a British Photographer dedicated his life's work to the Cyclades.
Mark Wilman grew up in London’s Notting Hill area in the UK, to British parents with a Caribbean background. Starting from his childhood and spanning throughout his entire life, he found himself being constantly drawn back to Greece, particularly the Cyclades.”
The Greek Herald
After more than six years working on the Cyclades project, I conclude that what I’ve looked for during its creation reinforces what I’ve felt since I was young, that the value of natural beauty is a gentle but persuasive remedy to life's complexities. Experience has shown me that efforts are always worth making, no matter how strenuous. Beauty invariably triumphs over ugliness and evil; destroy beauty but a flower will grow in the place of destruction, no matter how long it takes. Beauty has a calming effect, it pacifies and produces positive emotions, encourages creativity and benefits relationships leading to a more evolved state of happiness and well being.
As a boy, my father’s involvement in the world of scuba diving inspired my fascination for exploration in the southern Aegean archipelago. In those early years, too young for breathing equipment, I learned to freedive …
Me the freediver
Beauty invariably triumphs over ugliness and evil; destroy beauty but a flower will grow in the place of destruction, no matter how long it takes.
I hold dear the memory of the late Professor Angelos Delivorias, mentioned in the Introduction (Director of the preeminent Benaki Museum in Athens for over four decades, he was also a leading archeologist in Greece. His enthusiasm for my exploration in the Cyclades on land and underwater for twenty years was decidedly useful, helping me to distinguish signs of antiquity more easily). Last time we met was at an exhibition I had on Ios in 2017 where he complimented the details and future chronological value of the images, encouraging me to try for an exhibition in Athens, something I hope to achieve. For their understanding and assistance prior to the presentation of the project to a particularly important cultural body, I wish to thank the top direction of Apple Inc. MW