Zoe Leonard: Available Light

In the two related bodies of work that form the centrepiece of this volume, Zoe Leonard poses fundamental questions about the medium of photography and the nature of sight. In a series of large-scale installations, Zoe Leonard has employed the principle of the camera obscura, pairing it with installations of silver-gelatin photographs of the sun. The image in Leonard’s room-size camera obscuras is immersive and continuous, shifting constantly in response to the fleeting light of the outside world. On entering the installation, viewers’ eyes slowly adjust to the low light as an ephemeral panorama continuously unravels in the surrounding space and gradually comes into its full vibrancy. Leonard’s camera obscuras have been sited in cities in Europe and the United States, from Venice and London to New York and Marfa. This title explores this body of work through photographs that document these installations in five international cities. Zoe Leonard was the recipient of the eighth Bucksbaum Award for her camera obscura 945 Madison Avenue at the 2014 Whitney Biennal.