Examples of real photography

For over 50 years, Ian Macdonald (*1946) has documented working class life, social change and the rise and fall of heavy industry in the Teesside and Cleveland area, where the artist comes from, in the North East of England. Until the 1970s, these were important economic centers for Great Britain, but since then they have been known above all for high unemployment, poverty and environmental pollution. Macdonald's photographs are presented in nearby Sunderland, showing insights into the lives of local people. Ian Macdonald: Fixing Time is the first comprehensive retrospective of the photographer, who works with a traditional large-format plate camera in a time-consuming process. The exhibition opens on July 20 simultaneously in two collaborating venues: At the Northern Gallery for Contemporary Art, some of the exhibits will be on display until November 3, and at the Sunderland Museum and Winter Gardens the other part until January 4, 2025.

In addition to well-known photographs, numerous less frequently seen works and some works that have never been shown publicly before are also on display. The latter includes a series of photographs taken in schools across England over a period of more than 35 years. Visitors can also expect to see some large-scale drawings that demonstrate Macdonald's skill as a trained draughtsman. The artist's photographs can be found in prestigious private and public collections, including the Danish Royal Library in Copenhagen, the Navigation Foundation in Boston and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.