On Landscape Editorial
Editorial for On Landscape Magazine in the UK on my monochromatic method.
https://www.onlandscape.co.uk/2019/10/monochromatic-lens/
This article is only for paid subscribers of the magazine. On Landscape is undoubtedly the best curated feed of landscape photography and writing available online today. Well, that is my opinion anyway. Well worth the subscription in my opinion.
Len Metcalf exhibits with Max Dupain at Leura
Len Metcalf’s photographs will be exhibited alongside the Iconic Australian work of Max Dupain, at Light and Shadow Gallery, Leura, between 1st December 2018 and 8th January 2019.
Angel Reflections, Photograph Copyright © Len Metcalf 2018
Light and Shadow Gallery - Featuring Max Dupain - Leura
Len Metcalf’s monochromatic photographs will be exhibited alongside the work of Max Dupain at the Light and Shadow Gallery in Leura from the 1st December 2018 - 8th January 2019
Len sees it as a great honor to be hung alongside an icon of Australian photography. Len’s work is sympathetic to his and complements it beautifully. With clear references to dramatic lighting, Australian scenics, wildflowers and the nude figure.
The exhibition is curated by the Gallery Director Peter White and it clearly shows his love for Max Dupain’s black and white work. He has carefully choosen images that work beautifully in the same space interconnecting with thoughtful poetics . The exhibition shows a clear love for natural Australian imagery, strong deep blacks and powerful, yet sensitive photographs.
Light and Shadow Gallery
Featuring Len Metcalf’s photographs exhibited with Max Dupain
Open Wednesday to Sunday from 11 am - 4 pm
Shop 2/ 19 Grose Street,
Leura 2780, NSW AUSTRALIA
1st December 2018 - 8th January 2019
Len will be at the Gallery on Sunday 16th 2018 if you would like to meet with him during your visit.
Catch the Train
From city, take the Blue Mountains train from Central and disembark 2 hours later at Leura. Walk down to the end of the shops, cross over and walk along Megalong St to the Woolies carpark and walk up to the eastern side where the Lily’s Pad cafe is situated
Driving & Parking Options
Follow the M4 until it turns into the Great Western Highway. Drive up the Blue Mountains to Leura. Take the Leura exit. Drive down Leura Mall.
The easiest parking is in the Woolworths carpark. Drive down the Mall to the roundabout at the end of the shops (Megalong Street), turn left and go along 50m to the second driveway into Woolies. Go to the end and park in the far eastern section next to the trees. Walk down the adjacent laneway to Lily’s Pad cafe where the Gallery is situated. Parking is also available on Grose Street with access up the leafy laneway.
Furber Steps, Katoomba, The Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area. Photograph copyright © Len Metcalf 2018
Sunbather, Photograph Copyright © Max Dupain - courtesy Light and Shadow Gallery, Leura
Finalist at the 2018 Head On Portrait Prize
Steam Punk Circus - Photography Copyright Len Metcalf 2018
Len has been shortlisted as a finalist and hung at this years Head On Portrait Prize with Steam Punk Circus. With over 5000 entries and only forty finalists have been hung this is an amazing achievement. This years launch was at the University of New South Wales Art and Design Faculty at Paddington. A fitting place for Len as this is where he completed his degree in art majoring in Photography.
Len originally was awarded 'The most outstanding advanced colour photographer' award in 1988 when he graduated with straight distinctions in his photography major. At the time this was the highest photography award and was hung in the Graduating Exhibition that followed at the Ivan Dohety Gallery with only the most outstanding students of that year. At the time this coveted art school was called the City Art Institute, and was part of the NSW Institute of the Arts.
The exhibition of the finalists is on from the 5th May to Sunday 20th May 2018. It is at the Festival Hub at Paddington Town Hall.
Photomuse - I speak for the trees exhibition - India
“I Speak for the Trees” began as a collaborative exhibition of photography in Australia curated by Len Metcalf in April 2017. The original show consisted of triptychs by five photographers. They were Mr.Herbert Ascherman (USA), Tim Parkin (UK), Mark Littlejohn (UK), Unni Pulikkal S. (India) and Len Metcalf (Australia).
The show then traveled to India to become part of the exhibition “Open Origins – Open Ends” curated by Unni Pulikkal S. Triptychs by Theo Berends (The Netherlands), Sake Elzinga (The Netherlands), Madhuraj (India) and Dileep Anthikad (India) were added to the exhibition at this stage.
The current exhibition, which is its third incarnation, opened on December 27, 2017, in PhotoMuse Rural Gallery in Kodaly, Kerala, India. This show features a selected body of images by Herbert Ascherman Jr., Len Metcalf, Tim Parkin, Mark Littlejohn, Theo Berends and Sake Elzinga. The show will continue until February 28, 2018.
The exhibition engages with the respectful representation of trees in various parts of the world as symbols of coexistence and objects of artistic inspiration.
Open Studio 23rd & 24th September 2017
Len's Studio is open for the Willougby Artists Open Studio Weekend.
Len's Studio will be open as part of the Willoughby Artists Open Studio Weekend. Last time we opened we were visited by many prospective students of Len's that wished to take the opportunity to meet him in a less formal situation. Not only will there be a beautiful display of Len's latest works, you are welcome to wander around the studio and see how he produces his beautiful prints.
Click on the photo to download the brochure
The studio is open 10 - 4 pm Saturday and Sunday on the weekend of the 23rd & 24th September 2017. There are many other studios in the area to visit on the weekend as well.
The studio is at 12 Third Avenue Willoughby.
We hope to see you there.
On Landscape Issue 126
My article "Faces in the Canyon" has been published this week by Tim Parkin over at On Landscape Magazine. Love this magazine, it comes out every two weeks, and there is always a beautiful selection of images to browse and some great articles to read. A great place to inspire your landscape photographic creativity. https://www.onlandscape.co.uk/
Punctuation, the space between
Len will be talking at the OnLandscape Meeting of the Minds Conference on Saturday 19th November 2016. He is talk is about Punctuation, the space between.
Len is talking at the OnLandscape Meeting of the Minds Conference on Saturday the 19th November 2016. The event will be live streamed.
Len's presentation is on Punctuation, the space between.
It has been claimed that Mozart said, at one point, that he wasn’t so much interested in the notes, but in ‘the space between’.
In science and engineering, the space between is referred to as the ‘signal noise ratio’.
In Gestalt Psychology, the space between is described as ‘figure ground’.
Whilst in art, the space between is illustrated as ‘positive and negative space’.
Len Metcalf shares how you can nurture your own visual literacy by exploring the space between.
To sign up to watch Len's presentation please follow this link.
On Landscape Issue 122
On the cover of the latest On Landscape emag with my article about Time....
3 + 1 Exhibition featuring Len's photographs now open
3 + 1 Exhibition Open 3rd to the 22nd May 2016 at 188 Katoomba St Katoomba
3+1
Three photographers, one model one photoshoot.
Gallery One88, 186-188 Katoomba St, Katoomba, NSW, 2780
2nd May -15th May 2016
Three Sydney photo-artists (Meredith, Metcalfe and Thommen) invite you to see how they have each interpreted an art-nude photoshoot with the same model on the same location at the same time.
The shoot took place on a sunny Monday morning in December 2015 near Cronulla with an internationally acclaimed fine-art model.
Photographers normally prefer to work alone but chose to collaborate on this occasion so that they could learn from each-other and understand more about their creative philosophies.
The exhibition reveals that the three photographers represent their subject in vastly different ways. The images cover the full spectrum of styles from monochrome fine-art through to contemporary almost abstract interpretations of the female form.
The artists hope that visitors will enjoy not only the images and the spectrum of creative styles but also challenge themselves to consider how they portray the world when they take a photograph.
Naked Landscapes: relationships with nature
Flesh and stone. Nude, naked, stripped bare. Natural untouched environments. Humanity respecting and worshiping Gaia. Humility for our bountiful, yet threatenedmother nature.
In these works Len Metcalf explores our spiritual connection with the natural world. He finds great peace and spirituality from this connection. Fearful of humanity’sloss of connection with nature, he searches for reconnection. Exploring beauty in its purest forms. Finding peace again in mother nature.
Len has been photographing for as long as he can remember. Creating paper based works of art is his passion. Len teaches photography and continues to immerse himself in incredible natural vistas, camera in hand, in search of beauty.
Better Photography Issue 81
Len muses on on a series of essential thoughts about colour photography in the latest issue of Better Photography.
Len Metcalf muses on on a series of essential thoughts about colour photography in the latest issue of Better Photography.
For additonal information about the four colour colour wheel here are some links to some more articles on the subject
http://blog.asmartbear.com/color-wheels.html
http://www.handprint.com/HP/WCL/color1.html
Photographing the nude with large format
My first nudes with large format cameras were very slow affairs. Painting my friends bodies with a light grey body paint all over and only a couple of poses of them together. Limited by only a few sheets of film I was cautious. I found the pose when I asked them to hold each other in their favourite cuddling position. I became interested in the line between the two bodies. “Lines of Love” was the first image that I felt was resolved enough to publish.
My first nudes with large format cameras were very slow affairs. Painting my friends bodies with a light grey body paint all over and only a couple of poses of them together. Limited by only a few sheets of film I was cautious. I found the pose when I asked them to hold each other in their favourite cuddling position. I became interested in the line between the two bodies. “Lines of Love” was the first image that I felt was resolved enough to publish. Taken with studio lights in the back room of my house in Mount Victoria. The concept needs further exploration, and is something I will get back too.
Better Photography issue 79
Lens Balance
A model for approaching creative photography
Len Metcalf takes us through his approach for creating images that really stimulate and satisfy our artistic soul.
Len's Balance
A model for approaching creative photography
Len Metcalf takes us through his approach for creating images that really stimulate and satisfy our artistic soul.
Autumn 79
Better Photography issue 78
Time
Len Metcalf ponders the importance of time in his photography...
Time
Len Metcalf ponders the importance of time in his photography...
Summer 2015
Photo Compendium Australia
The latest Photo Compendium Australia is about to be launched and this year it features some of my Naked Landscapes. The launch and exhibition will feature some of my work.
PHOTO COMPENDIUM
LAUNCH & PRINT SALE
19th to 23rd November 2014
Opening Thursday evening 20th November 6-8pm
Anna-Marÿke :: Elaine Baton :: Julie Boland :: Kingsley Burton :: Renata Buziak :: Patricia Casey :: Catherine Cloran :: Wendy Currie :: Jagath Dheerasekara :: Digby Duncan :: Neil Duncan :: Peter Elfes :: Samantha Everton :: Dawne Fahey :: Joe Filshie :: Stephen Frizza :: Steven Godbee :: Luke Hardy :: Darren Harris :: Michael Haylen :: Vivienne Kelly :: Bob Kersey :: Sarina Lirosi :: Siegfreid Manietta :: Paul McCann :: Sally McInerney :: Caroline McLean-Foldes :: Penelope McNulty :: Leonard Metcalf :: Berylouise Mitchell :: Christoph Mueller :: Gregor Murton :: Ray Murton :: Birgit Neiser :: Julian Pearce :: Tony Peri :: Connie Petrillo :: Ryan Ponsford :: Michael Prior :: Zorica Purlija :: Scott Raylor :: Rod Sainty :: Lynn Smith :: John Studholme :: North Sullivan :: Suellen Symons :: Johanna Trainor :: Wendy Watson :: Louise Whelan :: Patrick Wu :: William Yang :: Ellie Young
Photo Compendium
Launch & Print Sale
19th to 23rd November 2014
Curated by Bob Kersey & Mary Meyer
Acquire contemporary Australian photography and be presented with the book of the work signed by the artist.
All art works immediately available one weekend only. Meet the artists. Enjoy the company. Take home the book.
Spot81 is located at
81 Abercrombie Street
Chippendale, close to Broadway Sydney.
Opening hours Wednesday to Sunday 11am to 5pm
Exhibition opening Thursday 20th November 6pm - 8pm
Abstracted: A different view of reality
A photographic exhibition turning the
ordinary into the extraordinary
Judy Warburton Thomas Buckwalter
Leonard Metcalf
TAP Gallery
opening Tuesday 6.30 pm 25th November
open 25th - 30th November 2014
1/278 Palmer St Darlinghurst open
12 - 6 pm daily
questions of beauty
What is beauty? This intriguing question is the theme of a new exhibition of images by three well-known local photographers in an ongoing collaboration.
“Questions of beauty” will be showing at the Blue Mountains Heritage Centre, end of
Govetts Leap Road at Blackheath through most of October.
In this exhibition Mike Stacey, Len Metcalf and Ian Brown look at beauty from different perspectives.
Len Metcalf’s monochrome images explore the human form in natural settings, sometimes juxtaposing vulnerability with the harshness of stone.
Mike Stacey's current take on beauty is now concentrated on that which exists in various combinations of art, fashion and the human form.
Ian Brown offers a counterpoint, with natural subjects that avoid common notions of what is ‘beautiful’. His quirky wildlife images seem to ask ‘What would you know?’
The exhibition opening is at 2 pm on Saturday, 4 October. Everyone is welcome and all works are for sale.
The exhibition continues until 28 October and is open every day from 9 am to 4.30 pm.
