PRIMARY | [GRAFTd] Exhibition | New works by Leanne McPhee

Next date: Saturday, 03 June 2023 | 01:00 PM to 04:00 PM

6 May - 17 June 

Primary examines the influence place has on the early formation of self and one’s subsequent orientation in the world. This suite of works seeks to unpack what it is to reconnect with a foundational space at different junctures in life - for both person and place. The images are of Merbein Primary School and were taken after its closure in October 2012. In revisiting the school over 20 years to photograph its structures and surroundings they represent a final chapter.

The rural Victorian school was a seeding ground for my understanding of self, social justice and the patriarchy. My experiences there unearthed a deep desire to step forward and challenge the status quo, to embody principles in practice and pursue the artistic endeavours that have hummed quietly beneath the day-to-day. In a broader context, Primary offers a portal into the formative experiences of people and place and how we can see ourselves over time.

Lumen prints are commonly created by placing an object onto photographic paper and exposing to the sun, for hours or days, until the shape of the object appears on the paper. A lumen print produced with a negative usually results in a low contrast image with minimal tonal range. After 18 months of experimentation, McPhee has created lumen photographs with an extended tonal range, exposed for under 30 minutes.

Leanne McPhee is an Australian fine art photographer known for her investigations into identity in living and still life forms. She is the author of Chrysotype: A Contemporary Guide to Photographic Printing in Gold and an advisor to the Lishui International Handmade Photography Centre, Zhejiang, China. Her work is held in public and private collections in Australia, China, Italy and the United States.

Exhibition Opening

Saturday 6 May  2:00 - 4:00 pm

Official Business starts 2:30 pm 

To be opened by Paul Atkins, Managing Director, Atkins Photo Lab.

Join us at historical Sauerbier House for complimentary wines and light refreshments.

 

Artist Talk 

Saturday 27 May 2:30 - 3:30 PM

Please join Leanne for an inspired Artist talk as she shares the stories behind the current works and unpacks modernising the historical photographic process of lumen printing by using digital negatives.

Light refreshments supplied.

 

Image: Leanne McPhee. Kanga Cricket Wall, 2022, lumen print, gold toned, 6cm x 9cm. Image courtesy artist.

When

Location

Sauerbier House, 21 Wearing st, Port Noarlunga, 5167, View Map