ABOUT SANDY MCLEA

​

Sandy McLea maintains a growing portfolio of contemporary fine art photography work with a creative approach to both rural and urban scenes. His unique technique goes past the medium of photography, allowing him to create art where the photographic process enables him to construct a creative, surreal experience.

​

McLea's childhood saw him travelling across an array of landscapes that eventually piqued his interest in visual imagery. Armed with an SLR camera, he began exploring the medium of photography, which led him to study at the National College of Photography, from which he graduated in 2005. His world view has inspired him to push the boundaries of creativity in interpreting and representing what the lens sees. The artist has developed a unique style that defines his imagery and gives his photography widespread appeal. Panoramic landscapes and city scenes have been the inspiration for Sandy McLea to express his artistic passion in with engaging photomontage collections.

 

From street scenes and graffiti in Europe to harbours and lighthouses in Cape Town and the desolate vistas of the Karoo. Behind the creation of each image belies the painstaking effort that goes into its making. Very often, Mclea takes hundreds of photographs of his subject from different parallel vantage points, subtly altering focus, perspective and exposure from one image to the next. Of these, a few pictures are selected for the final artwork. This informal grouping is spread out on a table and lay there, often for weeks on end, before the final arrangement crystallises in the artist's mind. Delicate adjustments are made from day to day until he is pleased with the assemblage. Lines and subject definition are carefully overlapped and then masterfully repeated to create a rhythmic kaleidoscopic effect, or in the case of his Idle Quarters collection, life-like rooms are constructed.

 

Another unique series is his hand-assembled photomontages, where physical prints are grouped and glued on a backing board to create an inclusive three-dimensional illustration. Mclea's portfolio of pinhole photography, printed on aluminium plates, is also an exciting body of work. Using a simple hand-built lens-less camera, he has photographed a series of broody seascapes which he shot on film. Prints are made onto an aluminium substrate leaving the images with a beautiful metallic feel.

 

Varied subjects and experimental techniques are what drives his creative impression. Yet, he has successfully been able to deliver a defined artistic idea that is unique to him and his style.

​

​