Alison McCauley: Shimmers
“The way the light shimmers on the surface — and the darkness that lurks beneath.”
Shimmers by Alison McCauley presents a haunting sequence of photographs taken along the Côte d’Azur between 2013 and 2023. Long synonymous with glamour and indulgence, the region attracts a constant flow of visitors chasing pleasure, escape, and quick fortunes — yet much of its allure hides in shadow.
Throughout the making of this series, McCauley often recalled Somerset Maugham’s description of the French Riviera as “a sunny place for shady people.” The phrase echoed what she both observed and sensed — the tension between dazzling surfaces and the darker realities underneath. Shimmers stands as her love letter to the Côte d’Azur, though one written with clarity and restraint rather than illusion.
About the Author
Alison McCauley is a photographer whose work stems from intuition and emotional response. Her practice is rooted in exploring themes of identity, belonging, memory, and the notion of home. Through her lens, she constructs open-ended, non-linear narratives that blur the line between documentation and dream, often tinged with melancholy and a sense of restlessness.
She has a particular interest in the photobook as an artistic object, creating handmade editions alongside traditionally published works. Copies of her books are held in major collections, including the Tate Library and Archive, the Bibliothèque Nationale de France, the American Center for Photographers (Wilson, NC), the Bodleian Libraries at the University of Oxford, Cambridge University Library, the National Library of Scotland, the Library of Trinity College Dublin, the National Library of Wales, the Charles Nègre Museum Library in Nice, and the public library of Cannes.
A member of UP Photographers, McCauley’s work is represented by Millennium Images and has been widely featured in international publications and exhibitions across Europe, the United States, and Asia. She lives and works in Cannes, France.
