British luxury supercar maker McLaren Automotive and Leica Camera, the leading international premium manufacturer of cameras, have revealed a new artistic collaboration featuring McLaren’s GT supercar.
Leica Ambassadors, Australian artists Kristian Dowling and Alex ‘Lady’ Drewniak, have created works being exhibited in the Leica Galleries in Melbourne and Sydney until July 31. The essence of McLaren’s collaboration with Leica is a shared tribute to creativity, fearless exploration and game-changing spirit by talented visionaries.
“At McLaren Automotive, pioneering design sits at our core. We rethink the boundaries in search of perfection and our GT supercar is no exception. The McLaren GT tells its story through perfect proportions shaped for aerodynamic efficiency. We are delighted that this same quest for perfection has seen each artist capture the supercar in a captivating way. We are thrilled with the outcome of this special project which allows people to appreciate the GT through a Leica lens,” said Paul Harris, Managing Director – APACHI, McLaren Automotive.
McLaren’s emotive and evocative design language is subtly reflected throughout the selected works along with the sensuous experience and emotive relationship that McLaren owners enjoy. Titled SPEED AND LIGHT, the collection visually communicates each creatives’ unique interpretation of the McLaren GT supercar, exploring contemporary paradigms of originality and innovation.
In creating the works featured in SPEED AND LIGHT, each artist has sought to deliver a modern perspective on the McLaren GT and to treat the supercar as a character in each image. Both interpretations evoke an intense sense of curiosity, complexity, boldness, and passion.
“This collaboration creatively fuses pictorial photography with supercars in a desire to create something truly unique by two exceptional creatives. Both artists have showcased the unparalleled image quality delivered by the Leica SL System printed on high quality ILFORD paper. The Leica SL2’s innovative design is the perfect choice for professionals, allowing photographers to fully immerse themselves in the creative process,” said Ryan Williams, Managing Director, Leica Camera Australia
Lady Drewniak’s experience in the music and fashion industries shines through in her series which depicts multi-disciplinary artist, George Maple, dressed in local and international fashion brands drawing inspiration from the iconic McLaren GT. Both Australian artists fuse their original approach to photography with a contemporary take on the supercar. Building an organic relationship between art, fashion and design, Drewniak brings the viewer’s attention to the simplistic beauty of the lines and curvature of the captivating supercar.
“I wanted to create a space where various artistic mediums could inspire one another. An ecosystem of creative collaboration. McLaren’s GT supercar was the art piece and the anchor to the wider cinematic vision. Multi-disciplinary artist George Maple is a close friend, collaborative creative director and muse for this series. She wears local and international fashion designers Common Hours, Giorgio Armani and Aya Muse,” said Lady Drewniak, Director of Photography and Leica Ambassador.
“These pieces were selected based on their shape and composition and relationship to her own dynamic female form. In the same way the GT’s curves create an emotional connection for those admiring its beauty, George uses her body to articulate emotion and characterise each image. I chose locations that felt aligned with the grandeur of the car. Conceptually this body of work represents sovereignty of the artist and her muse. The eternal power to lead us on journeys of the self and the soul,” explained Lady Drewniak.
As a world-class celebrity-entertainment photographer, Kristian Dowling has worked with some of the biggest names in the industry. It is his love of cinema which influences his exhibition – capturing a scene with two compelling characters, as if taken straight from a film. Shooting McLaren’s GT supercar in a single cinematic scene, Dowling explores a story of two lovers captured in his series of images.
“My love for cinema – the artistry, story-telling and technical brilliance have always influenced my work as a photographer. Imagine a scene in a film – two lovers out for a night in town, pulling up to an iconic restaurant in a stunning black McLaren. The red city lights glistening off the car’s polished black finish, accentuating the curves and lines of its unmistakable shape. What I have always loved about cinema are the beautifully constructed ‘fleeting moments’ that would often go unnoticed if you didn’t hit ‘pause’. I set out to construct a scene with two compelling characters and capture still images with a cinematic style that brings our attention to the beauty of the fleeting moment, as if taken straight from a film,” said Kristian Dowling, Director and Producer and Leica Ambassador.
McLaren Automotive and Leica invite fans, admirers, and passers-by to visit the Leica Gallery locations highlighted below, to view the exhibit over the coming weeks. No appointment is required.
SPEED AND LIGHT is on display at Sydney and Melbourne Leica Gallery locations now.
Leica Gallery Melbourne
Address: Level 1, St Collins Lane, 260 Collins Street, Melbourne VIC 3000
Duration: Exhibiting until 31 July 2022
Opening Hours: Mon – Wed 10am to 6pm, Thur – Fri 10am to 7pm, Sat 10am to 6pm, Sun 10am – 5pm
Leica Gallery Sydney
Address: Shops 40-44, Level 2, QVB, 455 George Street, Sydney NSW 2000
Duration: Exhibiting until 9 August 2022
Opening Hours: Mon – Wed 10am to 6pm, Thur 10am to 9pm, Fri – Sat 10am to 6pm, Sun 11am – 5pm
Visit one of the McLaren retailers in Australia for more information on the evocative McLaren GT and keep an eye out for our review coming soon.
Black and white photographs Copyright ©Alexandra Drewniak and colour photographs Copyright ©Kristian Dowling.