FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
THE SCAD MUSEUM OF ART PRESENTS
JACK LEIGH: FULL CIRCLE, LOW COUNTRY PHOTOGRAPHS, 1972-2004
Celebrated for one famed image, expansive career and legacy of the late Savannah photographer
contextualized and explored
Also featuring works by Eva Rubenstein, Walker Evans, Helen Levitt, George Tice, Sally Mann,
William Christenberry, William Eggleston, Lisa Robinson, Marcus Kenney, Tobia Makover,
among others
SAVANNAH, GEORGIA – JUNE 2ć — The Savannah College of Art and Design is pleased to announce the
photography exhibition Jack Leigh: Full Circle, Low Country Photographs, 1972-2004, on view from Tuesday, July
15, through Thursday, Oct. 2, at the SCAD Museum of Art. The museum is located at 601 Turner Blvd. A free public
reception will be held at the museum on Thursday, July 17, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
This is the first museum survey of work by the acclaimed Savannah photographer since his passing 10 years ago.
Leigh is perhaps best known for his 1993 photograph Midnight, which depicts the famous Bird Girl sculpture in
Savannah’s Bonaventure Cemetery. Random House commissioned the image for the cover of John Berendt’s
1994 novel Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. Leigh’s photograph became synonymous with the recordbreaking success of the novel, immediately catapulting him to international acclaim.
The exhibition moves beyond the singular image of the famous statue and explores a thread of influence through
Leigh’s documentation of low country terrain, industries and people that are presented alongside works by
photographers who inspired him, such as Eva Rubenstein, Walker Evans, Helen Levitt and George Tice. They are
also in conversation with works by his contemporaries, such as Sally Mann and William Christenberry. Completing
this circle of influence, the exhibition presents works by SCAD alumni Tobia Makover, Lisa Robinson, and Marcus
Kenney, among others, whose practices continue to be influenced by Leigh’s determined perspective.
“While the exhibition’s primary aim is to explore and cement the importance of Leigh’s work, it also aims to
continue his legacy of inspiring a new generation of artists,” said Tim Peterson, co-curator of the exhibition and
chief curator of exhibitions at SCAD, “Jack Leigh served as a defining influence for SCAD students and alumni,
further augmented by important opportunities at the Jack Leigh Gallery.”
The exhibition also features a reading room that will provide insight into Leigh’s creative process and legacy.
Visitors can examine the artist’s writings, annotated maps and contact sheets.
“Jack Leigh loved the South, but did not recognize how deeply his inspiration was rooted in the familiar landscapes
and people of the Low Country until he returned home to Savannah later in life. He spoke of this realization often,
calling it coming “full circle,” says Susan Laney (B.F.A., photography, 1996), co-curator of the exhibition, and
former director of the Jack Leigh Gallery. “It is this concept that is at the core of the exhibition, in Jack’s spiritual
return to his roots, the sources of his inspiration, and the legacy of his influence.”
Jack Leigh: Full Circle, Low Country Photographs, 1972-2004 is generously supported by Mrs. Robert O. Levitt.
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Media Contact:
For further information about this exhibition, images, or to arrange interviews, please contact:
Molly Rowe
SCAD, director of creative initiatives
[email protected]
912.398.1074
Ally Hughes
SCAD, director of university communications
[email protected]
912.525.4881
Deirdre Maher or Andy Ptaschinski
Blue Medium
[email protected] / [email protected]
212.675.1800
scad.edu