"Transference - Torridon & Wester Ross", by Susan MacDonald; Extended through February 28, 2026!
Novado Gallery is pleased to present, “Transference – Torridon & Wester Ross”, a solo photography exhibition by Scottish-born, Jersey City based artist Susan MacDonald. The exhibition has been extended through February 28, 2026. Exhibition Catalog
In Transference, MacDonald distills the atmospheric terrain of Scotland’s northwest Highlands into subtle, whisper-quiet images of land and light. Using intentional camera movement, she explores thresholds, where loch meets hill, weather meets memory, and motion meets stillness. Rather than documenting a scene, her photographs capture duration and sensation: wind brushing across water, the fading afterglow of dusk, the gradual shift of weather. Her abstractions invite viewers to linger, translating the landscapes of Torridon and Wester Ross into images paced to the rhythm of memory.
Both regions carry centuries of geological and cultural resonance. Home to some of the oldest rock formations in Europe and shaped by ancient glaciation, Torridon and Wester Ross stand as living records of deep time. Their long histories of Gaelic heritage and crofting traditions enrich the landscapes with myth, memory, and human presence. MacDonald subtly echoes these layers, not by depicting the land as it appears, but by revealing what it holds.
Susan MacDonald, Artist Statement:
My work explores the boundaries between perception and memory through the lens of Intentional Camera Movement (ICM) photography. Each image is created in-camera, not as a record of a scene, but as a translation of fleeting emotion and atmosphere - an act of transference from the external world to an internal, felt experience.
By moving the camera in deliberate, painterly gestures, I invite the landscape to dissolve into abstraction. The resulting images encourage viewers to step closer and become immersed in the subtle interplay of color, light, and motion. These works are not about capturing a moment, but about releasing it; allowing the familiar to blur, shift, and become something new.
In the context of the Transference show, my art asks: What do we carry with us from the places we pass through? How do our memories transform the world around us? Each piece is an invitation to pause, reflect, and experience the quiet power of transformation.
This is Susan MacDonald’s second solo exhibition at Novado Gallery.
"Light Sleeps on the Loch", 40" x 30", limited edition ICM photograph on aluminum.
Loch Maree is a beautiful, long freshwater loch shaped by glaciers—stretching about 12 miles—and nestled beneath stunning peaks like Slioch. It’s sprinkled with more than sixty charming islands, some of which are home to rare remnants of ancient Caledonian pinewoods, with trees that have stood here for centuries. The loch also offers a haven for wildlife, including the black-throated diver, a rare breeding bird in the UK. Not far from here, Isle Maree brims with history—featuring a chapel, a holy well linked to Saint Mael Ruba, and a charming “wishing tree” adorned with coins. I created this image to capture a peaceful moment when the water and weather softened the scene—when the light seemed to rest on the surface, and the landscape simplified into gentle tones, reflections, and haze.
Edition of 5.
"Where Light Meets Water", 40" x 30", limited edition ICM photograph on aluminum.
Captured at Loch Coulin within the scenic Coulin Estate in Wester Ross, this photo beautifully showcases a landscape carved from some of Scotland’s most ancient rocks, all shaped by the ever-changing Highland weather. In a setting where timeless geology blends with flickering, unpredictable light, abstraction serves as a heartfelt way to evoke the atmosphere. It's not about creating a perfect postcard scene, but about sharing the genuine feeling of that moment: peaceful, isolated, and beautifully in flux.
Edition of 5.