Mark’s current research, ‘The Pull of the Tide’, focuses on the rituals and everyday fabric of a surfer’s life:

With surfing more popular than ever, many perceive it solely as a sport or just a form of physical exercise. Yet, for many, its draw lies not necessarily in the corporeal act but in the accompanying space, culture, community, and mindfulness.

Given this, can we truly separate the act itself from its surroundings or cultural context, or are they inherently linked?

Guided by lens-based-governed observation, reflection, and representation, this practice-led research visually explores the interplay between the said components to widen our understanding of surfers' lived experiences, whilst concurrently examining photography’s capacity to articulate these immersive moments.

This body of practically-led research continues Mark’s fascination with the delineation of the everyday.

The process of generating and disseminating this creative practice will aim to explore surfing’s current ethnographical standing and ’connect us with those who are similar and dissimilar, open up new ways of seeing and experiencing, and illuminate that which otherwise remains in darkness’.