Major Ian Macdonald retrospective exhibition hosted in Sunderland

Paddy's Hole at the South Gare Teesmouth at Dusk, ca. 1986 by Ian Macdonald

Sunderland hosts a major retrospective exhibition Fixing Time across two venues - Sunderland Museum & Winter Gardens and Northern Gallery for Contemporary Art - exploring 50 years of work by renowned British Artist and Photographer Ian Macdonald.

Redcar Blast Furnace around 2 AM, midsummers night by Ian Macdonald

Macdonald, boasts a rich and prolific career spanning five decades behind the lens. His photographic journey has been dedicated to documenting life, the evolution of working-class communities, and the rise and fall of industry in Teesside and Cleveland, located in the North-East of England. Macdonald's extensive body of work aligns with the tradition of British documentary photography that emerged during the mid 1970s and into the 1980s, a period marked by political shifts and social upheaval.

Distinctive in his approach, Macdonald developed a unique style using traditional black-and-white film and print-making techniques. This distinctive aesthetic not only reflects his artistic prowess but also signifies his growing confidence in employing photography as a tool to address the pressing issues observed and lived during that transformative era.

The exhibition will be on view at Sunderland Museum & Winter Gardens from 20th July 2024 to 4th January 2025 and at Northern Gallery for Contemporary Art (NGCA) from 20th July to 3rd November 2024.