Richard Learoyd’s luminous, large-scale portraits, figure studies, and still lifes captivate viewers with their serene power and mesmerizing details. Produced using a room-sized camera obscura in his studio, Learoyd’s unique, direct-positive prints picture contemporary subjects using a process that harkens back to photography’s invention. As such, his work provides an opportunity to engage with photographs as lush, physical objects. At a time when most of us swipe and click through images on a camera phone screen, Learoyd’s photographs encourage us to slow down and lose ourselves in the act of close looking.
Learoyd’s portraits and figure studies, both clothed and nude, render real bodies with such intimate veracity that one feels, at times, embarrassed in their presence. His subjects are neither glamorous nor retouched to remove perceived “flaws.” Rather, every scar, mole, freckle, piercing or tattoo is visible. The paper’s glossy surface further heightens variations in the tone and texture of each subject’s skin, hair and nails. Through their subtle gestures, restrained poses and pensive expressions, Learoyd’s models convey a psychological depth as well as a physical weight. Many of the clothed figures, in fact, seem more emotionally naked than their nude counterparts. We find in their faces and postures the many timeless qualities that make us human: strength, vulnerability, boredom, determination, confidence and shame.
Richards’s still lifes are also unconventional. In one piece, a cuttlefish, trussed in thread as ink dribbles down its silvery flesh, hangs in midair. Recalling the still life paintings of Francis Bacon, the photograph becomes an abstract study in the tension between organic and geometric forms. Another photograph, both beautiful and disturbing, features the lifeless, contorted body of a flamingo, suspended on strings against a plain studio backdrop.
Though entranced by the unique formal and technical characteristics of his process, Learoyd admits that his methods are restrictive and labor-intensive. For over a decade, he has been using a room-sized camera obscura, which is a dark chamber fitted with a lens. As light passes through, an upside-down image is formed on the opposite wall and exposes a large sheet of light-sensitive paper. Learoyd then feeds the paper into a color-processing machine attached to the camera. Since the resulting print is not enlarged from a negative, each photograph is unique and exceptionally sharp. A shallow depth of field forces the artist to carefully pose his models. He aligns their figures with the focal plane, so that areas of the body closest to the lens are cast in heightened detail. Features that are outside the focal plane appear softer.
Since 2010, Learoyd has also worked with a bookmaker to produce one-of-a-kind artist books. These large, bound volumes are comprised of images cropped from larger photographs to emphasize compelling details. The books serve as a kind of visual diary, presenting partial memories of past studio sessions.
Learoyd’s ultimate goal is to arrest our attention, and inspire our thoughtful consideration of the many beautiful complexities that make us human. By gleaning insight into another, he has noted, we may hope to increase our own humanity.
Mr. Learoyd will be speaking about his work at The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in a free public lecture sponsored by The Photography Society on Feb. 17, 6 – 7 p.m. in Atkins Auditorium. Tickets are available online.
Richard Learoyd was born in Nelson, Lancashire, England in 1966. He studied at the Glasgow School of Art in Scotland and worked as a teacher and commercial photographer for many years. He currently lives in Wiltshire, England, and has his studio in London.
Richard Learoyd: In The Studio, is organized by the J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles, and curated by Arpad Kovacs, assistant curator in the Department of Photographs at the J. Paul Getty Museum. It will be on view at The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art from Feb. 10 to June 11, 2017. www.nelson-atkins.org
–April M. Watson, Curator, Photography
