Biography
Donna Lee Rollins is a photographic artist working in the "alchemic" tradition with B&W films, silver halide papers, historic techniques, and unique antique processes.
By applying classic methods such as hand-coating emulsions of metallic substances to fiber and rag papers, she utilizes the alchemic nature of these processes to transform light into her unique images.
She was awarded a fellowship to the Rochester Institute of Technology where she earned an MFA degree in both Fine Art Photography and Museum Science.
She then went on to serve in the Art and Photography Departments of Maine College of Art and within the University of Maine system at both Portland and Augusta.
Donna Lee has had several one-woman shows, including at Radiant Light Gallery in Portland, Maine and Caldbeck Gallery in Rockland.
Her work is included in the permanent collection of the Art Gallery at the University of New England and is found in the Corporate Collections of LL Bean and TD Bank North.
Since moving to Oregon she has been juried into numerous exhibitions, including at Art Elements Gallery in Newberg, where several of her original hand-painted pieces were purchased for the Allison Inn and Resort.
Rollins had her work exhibited at Cannon Beach Gallery, and in Astoria at LightBox Gallery and RiverSea Gallery, who currently represents her work on Oregon's North Coast.
Artist Statement
As a practitioner of the art of the Hand-Made Print, it is vital that I perform B&W photographic printmaking tasks manually in order to satisfy my desire to reveal the “hand of the artist” in the procedure.
By relying on optical printing and chemical processing, I am eliminating reliance on computer programs, monitor calibration or printer settings, and making a commitment to the genuine equipment and authentic materials used in light-sensitive photography in a way that represents the purist traditions of the medium.
By hand-processing and then individually hand-coloring each image, I connect with the image in an organic way that literally compels me to continue working with the alchemic formulas and archival processes used to create this unique artwork.