Summerland is a series of portraits documenting the subject within a hypnotic state wherein they are instructed to experience “the most beautiful landscape imaginable.”

The portraits in Summerland expose the complex separation between subject and viewer, and even more broadly, “the conundrum of never truly knowing what is held within another’s mind.”

Donaldson says of Summerland, “I am interested in the expressions that people have while in this hypnotic state, where they are internally experiencing a sublime vista. I have approached this group of pictures as a typology. In this way, the sameness of the images’ form allows the viewer to see the differences in each person’s gesture and expression more fully. The subject’s vision of immense beauty comes from within the imagination, and that hopefully translates, in some way, to his or her image in the photograph.”

Gallery director Jen Bekman remarks, “I’m delighted to be showing Ben’s work at the gallery once more and am especially pleased to be showing this series which I’ve watched develop over the course of several years. The photos in Summerland are fascinating departure from traditional portraiture. With the subject’s presence focused elsewhere, their involvement in the photo itself is subverted, exposing a vulnerability and beauty that’s unique and captivating.”