March 7, 2023

Press Release

© Leah Macdonald, Image courtesy of the artist

Artist's thirty-year-legacy of analog photography turned experiential exhibition and book

Lost Light Luv is an experiential exhibition and book release celebrating photographer Leah Macdonald's legacy project encompassing thirty years of analog photography and master printing. Inspired by the female figure and the challenges women face, her work is emotionally charged, visually dynamic, and intensely personal. To create her visual world, Macdonald utilized the historical 4x5 view camera, Type 55 Polaroid film, and silver gelatin prints created in a traditional wet darkroom. Each photograph in Lost Light Luv is created to be a unique monoprint, a singular glimpse into the complexity of power, femininity, and beauty. Macdonald will present her new book, original monoprints, and a darkroom installation, revealing a behind the scenes view of the interpersonal and photographic.

“In the darkroom, I was both a methodical performer and wild chemist, a crazy experimental mess... I wanted each and every print to physically describe some very important challenges for me - feeling uncomfortable in my body, dealing with anxiety, self-doubt, fear and insecurity. I wanted the prints to show the scars that we often don’t see on each other, the hurts that happen that we hide underneath our skin. I wanted my insides to come out but I did not want to give away the secrets.”

— Leah Macdonald

LOST LIGHT LUV

Solo Exhibition & Book Release
Curated by Amie Potsic

Exhibition Dates:
March 9 – April 15, 2023

Book Release
Book Signing and Artist Talk: March 18, 4:30 - 6:30 PM

Receptions
Opening Reception: March 9, 6 - 9 PM
Closing Reception: April 13, 6 - 9 PM

Location:
The InLiquid Gallery in the Crane Arts Building
1400 North American Street, Suite 108
Philadelphia, PA 19122
(215) 235-3405

Gallery Hours
Wednesday – Saturday, from 12 - 6 pm

PHILADELPHIA, PA – Lost Light Luv, a solo exhibition and book release, celebrates photographer Leah Macdonald's artistic legacy encompassing thirty years of analog photography, master printing, and emotive portraiture. The show is on view at The InLiquid Gallery in the Crane Arts Building in Philadelphia, PA from March 9 - April 15, 2023. The book signing and artist talk are on Saturday, March 18 from 4:30 – 6:30 PM. The opening reception is on Thursday, March 9 from 6 – 9 PM. The closing reception is on Thursday, April 13 from 6 – 9 PM.

Inspired by the female figure and the challenges women face, Macdonald's work is emotionally charged, visually dynamic, and intensely personal. To create each image, Macdonald collaborated with women who could relate to her own struggles while being brave enough to bare their own. In conversation, the collection of portraits conveys a depth of emotion, self-awareness, and longing.

To create her visual world, Macdonald utilized the historical 4x5 view camera, Type 55 Polaroid film, and silver gelatin prints created in a traditional wet darkroom. Macdonald's work was created in the heyday of black and white photography before digital made it obsolete as an industry standard. As the photography field changed, Macdonald's work became all the more precious and unique. Additionally, rather than printing in editions, each photograph in Lost Light Luv is created to be a one-of-a-kind monoprint, a singular glimpse into the complexity of power, femininity, and beauty. This body of work is a love letter to silver gelatin photography itself while simultaneously honoring the stories and individuals illuminated by Macdonald's lens.

"I remember my favorite things about analog photography. The way it looked, the way it felt- the constant ideas that sparked inside me. I was compelled to think about scenes and locations and clothing and models and props. Always scouting, searching, and looking for the landscapes and buildings that could act as theatre sets for my imagery. I looked at every person in terms of a photograph.", says Macdonald.

In addition to the exhibition at InLiquid, Macdonald will be having a book signing and artist talk on Saturday, March 18 from 4:30 to 6:30 PM.

Leah Macdonald was born in Philadelphia, attended the San Francisco Art Institute, and went on to receive her MFA in Photography from the California College of Art. She has enjoyed a long and varied career path within the arts: commercial photography, professional analog printer, and college professor. Additionally, in 2007 she was asked to do a live painting demonstration on the Martha Stewart show. Other highlights include a solo retrospective at Wexler gallery in 2010 and being the scenic director of In My Body Musical in 2016. She has created numerous artist books and her work has been published extensively. For more information on Leah Macdonald's work: http://www.leah-macdonald.com/

The curator of the exhibition is Amie Potsic, CEO and Principal Curator of Amie Potsic Art Advisory, LLC, where she supports artists, collectors, and institutions through Art Advising and Legacy Planning. Potsic is also an established photographer and installation artist as well as Host of the Art Watch Radio Podcast on WCHE 1520 & 95.3. She has held faculty appointments at the University of California Berkeley and the San Francisco Art Institute and been a guest lecturer at the International Center of Photography and The Delaware Contemporary. She has curated exhibitions at venues including Philadelphia's City Hall, Maryland Art Place, Pittsburgh Center for the Arts, and the Philadelphia Museum of Art. For more information, visit https://www.amiepotsicartadvisory.com/.

Lost Light Luv will be on view at The InLiquid Gallery in the Crane Arts Building in Philadelphia, PA from March 9 - April 15, 2023. The book signing and artist talk are on Saturday, March 18 from 4:30 – 6:30 PM. The opening reception is on Thursday, March 9 from 6 – 9 PM. The closing reception is on Thursday, April 13 from 6 – 9 PM. InLiquid's Gallery hours are Wednesday – Saturday, from 12- 6 pm. For more information, visit: https://www.inliquid.org/inliquid-gallery-events/lost-light-luv

© Leah Macdonald, *No 21251*, Toned Gelatin Silver Print, 9.5" x 12", 2010

About InLiquid Gallery

The InLiquid Gallery is the physical expression of InLiquid's mission as a hub for visual art in Philadelphia. As a non-profit providing opportunities and a platform for enhanced exposure for local artists, The InLiquid Gallery is the first permanent space that offers rotating curation of our artist members' work. The InLiquid Gallery aims to provide the local and visiting public with a social destination where artwork can be seen, enjoyed, experienced, and purchased. For more information, visit https://inliquid.org/ or follow them on Instagram at @inliquidart.

For more information about the exhibition, click here: Lost Light Luv (inliquid.org)