ARTIST
Barbara Cole
About Barbara Cole – Contemporary Photographic Artist
Barbara Cole Artworks – underwater photography is internationally recognized for its ethereal, painterly style and transformative visual impact. Born in 1953 in Toronto, Canada, Barbara Cole combines historical techniques with modern tools to create dreamlike, figurative photographs that explore identity, time, and movement.
Since the early 1980s, Cole has pursued a hands-on approach to photography. She avoids automation and embraces manual techniques that reflect her deep appreciation for the craft. Her focus on figurative transformation allows her to mix traditional tools with conceptual settings, often asking poetic questions such as: How do you paint a picture of timelessness? How do you capture the feeling of being weightless?
Her work draws from both the past and the future. She often uses analog processes like the wet collodion tintype technique to create visuals that feel suspended in time. Additionally, her underwater studio allows her to create surreal environments where figures appear to float or transform. This combination defines the signature style of Barbara Cole’s underwater photography, blending the tactile quality of historic methods with digital innovation.
Her background in fashion and editorial photography also shapes her process. Through costume, lighting, and careful staging, she builds emotional narratives. Some feature clear subjects, while others rely on abstract metamorphosis to tell the story. As a result, her work feels more like painting than traditional photography.
Cole has no formal training and credits instinct, curiosity, and persistence for her success. “I became an artist simply by taking pictures,” she says. Today, Barbara Cole Artworks are shown in exhibitions and collected internationally.
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