My name is Kayleigh MacDonald (she/her), and I graduated this past summer with a degree in Photography from Virginia Commonwealth University. My work is informed by womanhood, holiness, and the various ways we define “image.” I'm especially interested in the light-sensitive properties of plants, and how these properties can be used to create photographic emulsions--it’s so exciting and important to me that material aids narrative and concept, and I really enjoy making site-specific work. Sable was the perfect place for new experiments, and I enjoyed making a variety of anthotypes and chlorophyll prints using organic matter from the garden and surrounding areas. I also spent a lot of my time by the river, allowing myself to play, making mud sculptures and paper experiments. After returning from my residency, I struggled with describing it to other people. What felt most accurate to me, was that it was as if my soul got to lay out in the sun to dry.

A fun fact is that before Sable, I had never tried beets before! I was so excited to eat them in a salad my first night, so fresh from the garden. Not only are they delicious, they also make an amazing emulsion base for anthotypes! I attempted a few during my stay!

June Session 1 Artist