Looking for a seriously good photography exhibition in your life? This compelling solo show is made up of a collection of photographs from Sydney photographer McLean Stephenson’s recently released book, Extracts, which documents six years of photography. There is an ethereal and cinematic quality to his photographs — a soft depravity which seems to combine Francis Bacon with Alfred Hitchcock.
Featuring an eclectic range of subject matter, there is a quiet sense of disruption that courses through these photographs. However, all of them feel painfully honest. Wavering between controlled execution and chance, there is a curious roughness to these photographs, which manage to retain a sense of intimacy. In many ways, Extracts is a celebration of photographic imperfections. Stephenson exposes the cuts and scratches that evidence the process of creating an image.