ABOUT THE EVENT
photo-eye Bookstore is proud to welcome acclaimed photographer Isa Leshko to Santa Fe for a book signing and artist talk celebrating the release of her new monograph Allowed to Grow Old, published by the University of Chicago Press. The book signing and artist talk is held in conjunction with an exhibition of selected works from Allowed to Grow Old at Richard Levy Gallery in Albuquerque, on view from April 26th - June 7th, 2019. Beginning at 4pm on May 4th, Leshko will be available to sign copies of Allowed to Grow Old as well as perform a reading from the book, discuss her practice, and take questions from the audience until 6 pm.
ABOUT THE ARTWORK
Allowed to Grow Old is a dignified and affectionate portrait series of elderly animals living on farm sanctuaries. Prompted by an event in Leshko's personal life, Allowed to Grow Old is a treatise on mortality through the lens of animal rights. Images of Teresa, a thirteen-year-old Yorkshire Pig, or Melvin, an eleven-year-old Angora Goat, make us aware of just how rare it is to see a farm animal reach advanced age. Rescued from abuse and neglect, the animals are circumspect of strangers, and Leshko often spends hours attuning with each animal ensuring they feel safe and comfortable before she makes even a single image. The effect is charming, challenging, and ultimately unforgettable.
In the book, each portrait is accompanied by a brief biographical note about its subject and is rounded out with essays that explore the history of animal photography, the place of beauty in activist art, and much more.
By depicting the beauty and dignity of elderly farm animals, I invite reflection upon what is lost when these animals are not allowed to grow old. - Isa Leshko
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Isa Leshko is an artist and writer whose work examines themes relating to animal rights, aging, and mortality. Her images have been published in The Atlantic, The Boston Globe, and The New York Times among others. Isa has received fellowships from the Bogliasco Foundation, the Culture & Animals Foundation, the Houston Center for Photography, the Millay Colony for the Arts, and the Silver Eye Center for Photography. She has exhibited her work widely in the United States and her prints are in numerous private and public collections, including the Boston Public Library, Fidelity Investments, and the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.
