Vicki McKenna
Quiet Observation
Vicki McKenna creates contemporary photographs that reveal the quiet complexity of landscapes, plants, water, and the built environment. Drawing on her background as a geologist, she approaches the world with an eye toward the processes and details that are often overlooked, transforming ordinary moments into carefully considered photographic compositions.
While McKenna’s photographs may begin as observations of the physical world, the finished print is an essential part of her artistic process. She works primarily in black and white, using historic platinum and palladium printing techniques to create handcrafted photographs with rich blacks, subtle mid-tones, and distinctive edges. Each print carries the physical evidence of its making, allowing the printing process itself to become another form of expression.
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Selected Works
Each work is a handcrafted Platinum/Palladium photographic print. Click individual works for details or purchase.
Available works typically range from $360–$1,250.
About the Work
McKenna’s photographic practice begins with close observation of the physical world. Her images move between natural and developed landscapes, from water, marshes, and plants to industrial and architectural spaces. Rather than searching for spectacular scenery, she finds interest in everyday occurrences and invites viewers to slow down and reconsider what might otherwise go unnoticed.
Her background in geology informs an awareness of geological time and the ongoing interactions among water, air, rock, and biology. Landscapes become records of change, revealing textures, patterns, erosion, growth, and movement that connect an individual moment to a much longer story.
For McKenna, the print is not simply a reproduction of a photograph but the final expression of the work. She uses historic platinum and palladium processes, hand-coating watercolor paper with light-sensitive solutions to create photographs distinguished by luminous tonal range, rich blacks, and subtle variations from print to print. The craftsmanship of the printing process gives each photograph a physical presence and an individual character.
Biography
Vicki McKenna is an American photographer and geologist based in Massachusetts. She earned an ALB in Natural Sciences from Harvard University and a PhD in Geological Sciences from Brown University. Her scientific background continues to shape her photographic interest in landscape, geological processes, and the physical environment. She studied photography at the New England School of Photography, the Photography Atelier at the Griffin Museum, and Maine Media Workshops.
McKenna has exhibited extensively throughout New England and along the East Coast, including at the Danforth Museum, Cambridge Art Association, PhotoPlace Gallery, Kiernan Gallery, and Fountain Street Gallery. She has presented juried solo exhibitions at the Firehouse Center for the Arts in Newburyport and Newton Free Library, and has taught photography-focused courses at MIT. Her work is represented in private collections and continues to explore the relationship between observation, place, and the handcrafted photographic print.
Inquiries
For works not currently listed online or additional information, please contact the gallery.