If you’re in the mood for a visual short-story, drop by Galerie Donald Browne and check out the exhibition L’Annonciation by photographer Emanuelle Léonard.

The four crisp, glossy photographs on display tell the story of the Annunciation. But don’t expect any angels or virgins. The story is told – rather obliquely – through the images of a caged white wolf, a Bald Eagle, and two photographs of a women’s prison. Léonard draws subtle parallels between the key elements of the Annunciation story and her photographic work. For example, the wolf is photographed with a glaring flashlight, giving the animal a stunned, washed-out look. This use of light is meant to symbolize the “divine light” by which the arch-angel Gabriel appears to Mary (Mary here being represented by the wolf). Gabriel himself is played by the eagle, looking rather divine in this hyper-realistic portrait. The photographs are interesting in their own right; I enjoyed the stark detail and the saturated colours. However, I doubt I would have deciphered the biblical references without the galerist’s charming help. Maybe I’m just not Catholic enough.

Galerie Donald Browne
space 524
Emanuelle Léonard
L’Annonciation
exhibition dates: April 19 – May 24, 2008
www.galeriedonaldbrowne.com