New Works by Laurie Toby Edison

Text and images by Laurie Toby Edison

Autumn leaves and shadows (Pandemic Shadows 112). Courtesy of Laurie Toby Edison

Laurie Toby Edison:

I walk & live in the shadow of the pandemic while photographing Pandemic Shadows everywhere. I make beauty in hard times. I started this in the lockdown and continued until very recently. It’s just about finished now. I’ve been a photographer since my late 40s. My latest project started in the lockdown looking for things to photograph. It’s my first project that didn’t involve model cooperation. It’s been very revelatory as a photographic experience.

Leaves and branches (Pandemic Shadows 116). Courtesy of Laurie Toby Edison

My books of photographs are “Women En Large: Images of Fat Nudes” and “Familiar Men: A Book of Nudes” (all edited by Debbie Notkin). My photographs have been exhibited in many cities, including New York, Tokyo, Kyoto, Toronto, Boston, London, Shanghai, Seoul and San Francisco. My solo exhibition “Meditations on the Body” at the National Museum of Art in Osaka featured 100 photographs from all three of my photographic suites. My latest completed project is “Women of Japan”, clothed portraits of women from many cultures and backgrounds.

Berkeley flowers and leaves (Pandemic Shadows 126). Courtesy of Laurie Toby Edison

I most recently had Pandemic Shadows photos exhibited in “Light & Shadow,” at the Valid World Hall Gallery in Barcelona. Photographs from other projects in their permanent collection were featured in “Crossing Borders,” the inaugural show of Gallery Terra-S at Kyoto Seika University.

Sidewalk lines (Pandemic Shadows 115). Courtesy of Laurie Toby Edison

I’m an activist on body image and other social justice issues. I blog with Debbie Notkin at Body Impolitic, talking about body image, photography, art and related issues.