The Infrared Light Gallery®

"What is essential is invisible to the eyes"   Antoine de Saint Exupery, The Little Prince 

The Infrared Light Gallery® studio is located in an inspiring environment on the Fox River in St. Charles, Illinois. The location is currently being transformed into beautiful Japanese Gardens with ponds, walking paths and a Japanese Tea House. With Malinowski's continual studies in eastern philosophy, particularly Buddhism, the peace and serenity found here is a continual inspiration for the artist. "I was never a city girl...I connect with the water, the trees and the animals... the energy that exists in the forest."

 The Infrared Light Gallery® designs, publishes and distributes fine art prints, books, and posters, greeting cards and other products based upon this visionary artist. We are expanding to gallery/retail partnerships throughout the U.S. where The Infrared Light Gallery® product line is carried. We welcome print collectors, new clients for commercial advertising & publishing work and new retail partnerships to visit or call us at 1.800.571.2730

As Director of the gallery, MaryEllen creates with a delicate balance of love and light.  It is this power of Spirit, that is a continual presence in her life.  

Photo © Daily Herald 

There is an art to working with light that you cannot see, and infrared film that is difficult to handle and work with. The film itself must always be in total darkness... even during loading and processing. Only after the film is processed in the darkroom in complete darkness, can it be exposed to light.  

The infrared photographic imagery created by MaryEllen is a black and white film which is sensitive to infrared wavelengths.  In straight black and white photography, and in color, we use only the wavelengths that are in the visible spectrum, the white light.  In her work, she uses infrared film as a tool to capture both the visible and invisible light spectrums. Infrared light is present in most light, although it cannot be seen by the human eye.  Subjects that appear similar with your eyes reflect infrared in different amounts, and because of that, infrared light can transform ordinary scenes into dreamlike images.  With these short wavelengths, images will glow if they radiate heat, and will appear black if they absorb heat.  Images are mysterious and surreal, people can have an ethereal glow. 

Infrared negatives are much thinner that your average black and white negatives, so caution again needs to be taken when working with the negatives in making a print, so that they are not scratched or cracked.  MaryEllen prints her selected infrared images on a variety of archival papers, including a fibre-based water color paper.  Transcending the level of photographic fine art prints, her archival prints carry a depth and texture that is rare in the world of photographic print collections. Each infrared silver gelatin print is created, titled, numbered ( in limited editions) and signed by the artist. 

The Infrared Light Gallery® employs skilled individuals as part of their design team.

 The Infrared Light Gallery® is open by appointment, Tuesday thru Saturday.  Please call 800-571-2730 to schedule a time and to receive directions.

The Infrared Light Gallery®

P.O. Box 1281

Saint Charles, Illinois  60174