Camera-less at the Flinn Gallery: Greenwich Library

January 16, 2025 – March 5, 2025

The Flinn Gallery is pleased to present Camera-less, featuring the work of Joanne Dugan,
Amanda Marchand, Anne Arden McDonald and Liz Nielsen. The exhibition will introduce the
public to four of the most innovative practitioners of camera-less photography working today.
These artists challenge traditional expectations of photographic representation with
experimental, process-driven works that push boundaries both technical and conceptual.
What is camera-less photography? It might seem a contradiction in terms but actually, the very
first photographic images were created without a camera. In this practice, images are captured
on photo-sensitive paper without the use of a lens. Light, chemicals and a light-sensitive
surface are its fundamental ingredients. Removing the camera means that light and chemicals
interact directly without the intermediary of a camera or a negative.
The technique of making photographic images without a camera dates back to the early 18oos,
at the dawn of photography. Rediscovered by the Surrealists in the 1920s, camera-less or direct
photography is seeing a resurgence today, with a growing number of contemporary artists
pushing the possibilities of this medium far beyond where their predecessors left off. This
exhibition highlights the work of four groundbreaking artists who create powerful and highly
original images by casting shadows and filtering light on photographic paper, or by chemically
manipulating its surface. The striking works on display, ranging from figurative to abstract,
represent the leading edge of what is possible in this emerging field.

Photo: Liz Nelson

For more information

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday – 10:00am – 5:00pm

Thursday – 10:00am – 8:00pm

Saturday – 10:00 am – 5:00pm

Sunday – 1:00 – 5:00pm