current exhibition

LEAH MACDONALD

Female Fairytale

July 3 - August 3, 2009

Artist's Reception: Saturday, July 11, 5-7 pm

Female Fairytale is a new series of photographic and mixed media images by Philadelphia based artist, Leah Macdonald. Leah's sensuous narratives of women are a personal exchange with her subjects, sharing stories and secrets and revealing intimate aspects. Starting with silver gelatin and Hahnemuhle fine art prints, the black and white images are adorned with beeswax, scratched, painted, sometimes torn and reconstructed, resulting in a strong, moody, feminine narrative.

In this new series, Leah uses her traditional subjects, women, in a more narrative and autobiographical manner to describe her life's journey and inner thoughts through metaphors. The images were created using twenty-nine different women, posing in the same Victorian wedding dress, with each representing a different chapter in Leah's life as a woman, artist, wife and mother.

Using a diverse collection of film cameras and photographic tools, Leah's work merges nostalgic photographic methods with modern technology, along with an eclectic array of encaustic mixed media and various paper surfaces. The resulting images are both graceful and haunting and highlight Leah's unique vision and mastery of the craft of handmade art.

Female Fairytale will be on display from July 3 - August 3, 2009 with an artist's reception scheduled on Saturday, July 11 from 5-7 pm. Regular gallery hours are Friday through Monday, 11 am to 6 pm, or other times by appointment. For more information, please call 845-679-0027.

©Leah Macdonald