Ricard Learoyd’s large-scale photographs—mainly portraits, nudes and still lifes—encourage a different way of looking. Made using the most basic of methods available, the camera obscura, which by nature produces a unique image, these are studies of individuals or objects captured with such fidelity that surfaces become tactile in a way that is not common to photography. Photo above: Sam Deitch/BFA.com, courtesy Pace Gallery.

In the case of the portraits and nudes, they can become psychological studies as the subjects look inside themselves to determine what they wish to offer to the camera. They summon up a power within themselves that may not always be present to others. In the case of the still lifes, often images of recently dead stuff, there is a sense of being, then not being, as an animal drifts from recently breathing to not breathing. 

The large selection of images on view at Pace Gallery, on 57^th Street, generously spaced apart on walls painted a soft gray, offers an opportunity to look in the unhurried way that these photographs ask of us. The shallow depth of field made evident by nature of the lens employed against its intended use results in a shift from indelibly sharp focus to soft focus, all within the space of an inch. The large scale of the images (around 50 x 60 inches) intensifies the intimate scale of what is there. Skin, eyes, nails are seen in the kind of detail that is usually left to touch. A viewer can sense the breath being taken. 

In addition to the photographs, the photographer presents three large-scale books assembled from outtakes from studio sessions—which Learoyd has said involve a relatively high failure rate given the imprecision of the camera obscure—combined with newly created images to bridge the sequences. The books are presented, one at a time, on a custom stand and cabinet built of English walnut. Photo above: Kerry Ryan McFate, courtesy Pace Gallery.

In a recent email, Learoyd said, “The book is part of a series of books that I've been making over the last few years. Each volume is one-off and contains 50 unique photographs. It's sort of a visual diary that records successes and failures in the studio work that I'm making. I call the images ‘fragments’ as they are often cut from larger photographs.” The books are bound in kid leather and presented as a set of three, in a cloth slipcase. With pages that measure 23 3/4 x 23 x 2 inches, the books offer still another way to linger with the meditative quality of these photographs, to look closely for the pleasure of the eye. Photo above courtesy Pace Gallery

Richard Learoyd | Day for Night continues through April 30 at Pace Gallery, 32 East 57^th Street, 2^nd floor, NY, NY. Info Artist page. View the video of a studio session with Richard Learoyd at ICP. Read the Aperture interview here. Day for Night, the book.  CV19.EX.PHOTO