Kathryn Cooper works at the intersection of science, mathematics and art, using lens-based techniques to reveal patterns arising from nature – specifically the movement of flocking birds. Emergence 2 considers the starling roost in Ripon, North Yorkshire. The paths that the birds trace look fluid, and "sound remarkably like the crashing and surging of the ocean against the shore." Beyond their striking appearance, Cooper's images draw parallels between avian dynamics and human societies – tapping into ideas of collective behaviour and systems of influence. Cooper creates photographs and films by stacking dozens to hundreds of consecutive shots together. The technique is anchored in the history of photography, pioneered by British-American image-maker Eadweard Muybridge and French scientist Étienne-Jules Marey.