Richard Learoyd "Portraits and Figures"
Mckee Gallery
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Mr. Learoyd’s large-scale, unique photographs are achieved through his mastery of the camera obscura technique. His studio, a single room in which the subject, the lens, the Ilfochrome film, the artist, the lights and the darkroom occupy most of the space, becomes, in effect, the camera itself.
‘Portraits and Figures’ reflects Learoyd’s ongoing interest in the power and beauty revealed in the faces and bodies of ordinary people. His subjects are casual acquaintances whom he meets through friends or on the street, enabling him to keep an artistic distance. His preference for intimate detail gives his work a biting clarity, revealing the true reality of our everyday existence and a beauty inherent in every individual. He meticulously controls every aspect of their presentation: the clothing, the lighting, the angles, sometimes spending hours or days achieving a satisfactory image. There is no manipulation of the image after the photograph is taken. Inevitably one recognizes an affinity with European portrait painting of the 18th and 19th centuries, where fidelity to acute observation gives a subtle psychological insight into the sitters.
[Image: Richard Learoyd "Man with Octopus Tattoo" (2011) unique llfochrome print 58.5 x 49.5 in.]
Media
Schedule
from September 28, 2011 to October 29, 2011