Between This Breath and Then:
Polly Samson turns the lens on the space between the studio and the stage, where songs are written, recorded and brought to life.
As part of the 50th anniversary of the Leica Galleries, Leica Gallery Amsterdam proudly presents ‘Between This Breath and Then’, an exhibition of photographs by Polly Samson. Best known as an acclaimed novelist and lyricist, Samson has quietly built a second body of work over more than two decades: photographs made backstage, in recording studios and on the road, shot on both film and digital.
Rome, 2024, Archival pigment print, 65x80, Signed in pencil on verso. € 3.250 incl. VAT
The exhibition draws on her sixth book, Luck and Strange Studio/Live, a vivid and energetic photographic journey that follows an album from its first recordings to its life on stage. At its centre is David Gilmour, Samson’s long-time creative partner. The result is more than a document of a record and a tour: it is a rare, personal view of how two artists shape their work together over many years.
Writing with light
The same instinct that informs Samson’s lyrics runs through her photographs. She looks for the small, unguarded moments – a pause before a take, a shadow across a wall, a burst of colour on stage – and lets them carry the story. Her images move freely between quiet intimacy and the raw intensity of live performance, capturing the breath between one note and the next.
This exhibition is on display at Leica Gallery Amsterdam from 25 September until 15 November 2026.
Polly Samson
Polly Samson is a British novelist, short story writer and lyricist, with five widely translated works of fiction to her name. Alongside her writing, she has photographed concert tours and studio sessions for more than twenty years, giving her an unusually close vantage point on the creative process. With ‘Between This Breath and Then’, she presents her photography with Leica for the first time.
David at home, 2022
Baryte print, 45x60 cm
Signed on the attached certificate. € 1.650 incl. VAT
Luck and Strange Studio/Live
Samson’s sixth book forms the backbone of the exhibition. Moving from the stillness of home and studio to the colour and movement of the concert stage, it traces the full life of an album – from the first ideas to the last encore. Some images are calm and atmospheric, others deliberately blurred and electric, but all share the perspective of someone who was there for every step, not as an outsider, but as part of the work itself.
West Sussex, December 2024
Gelatin silver print, 50x70
Signed in pencil on verso. € 3.250 incl. VAT
Visit the exhibition
25 September – 15 November 2026
Tuesday to Saturday: 10:00 – 18:00
Sunday: 12:00 – 17:00
Leica Gallery Amsterdam
Van Baerlestraat 74
1071 BA Amsterdam
Admission is free. We look forward to welcoming you.
Leica Gallery Amsterdam
Contact
Manager/Curator: Linda Warmerdam
Email: [email protected]