Photography art Gallery Friday Round Up - 27 June, 2014|Photography Art Definition

This week on Friday Round Up two new books to add to your collection - Stephen Shore's epic From Galilee to the Negev and the Roma's The Waters of Our Time. Plus new exhibitions for Strange Neighbour and Monash Gallery of Art in Melbourne, and Blackeye in Sydney, and a preview to my interview with New York-based Australian photographer Kerry Payne. And a new feature: Picture of the Week.

Picture of the Week:

Despite everything we know about climate change, coal continues to be the "energy of choice" with coal usage reaching a 44 year high in 2013 according to BP's annual Statistical Review of World Energy. While Western democracies point the finger of blame at the developing world, China and India in particular, passing responsibility rather than doing more to clean up their own act, will do nothing to halt the damage being done to the planet. Not to mention the human toll. To see more images from this story visit The Atlantic InFocus.

(C) Channi Anand - Jammu, India 2012

Book:

Stephen Shore - From Galilee to the Negev

“interpretations depend very much on who the interpreter is, who he or she is addressing, what his or her purpose is, at what historical moment the interpretation takes place” Edward W. Said

In Stephen Shore’s epic book ‘From Galilee to the Negev’ there is a distinct sense of Shore’s intent and focus from the first pages on this expansive book, which comes with its own map and designated “sites of interest” and “photographed locations”.

Shore’s capacity to pursue a story that took him 17 years to complete, is one of the hallmarks that have made him a master storyteller. Shore, who took to the road in the seventies with camera in hand and hasn’t looked back, is considered one of the pioneers in documentary colour photography. Cited as an influence by many – Nan Goldin, Andreas Gursky and Wolfgang Tillmans amongst others – Shore was the first living photographer to be given a solo exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York in 1971; prior to Shore the last artist was Alfred Stieglitz in 1931.

Situated within ten dedicated chapters – Ashqelon, Galilee, Tel Hazor, Tel Aviv, Gaza, Jerusalem, Ramallah, Hebron, Negev and Sacred Stones - Shore’s idiosyncratic photographs stitch together the desert landscape, the passing of time, the rise of the modern and portraits of local residents to create a visual tapestry that is unique to Israel, and to Shore. ‘From Galilee to the Negev’ is Shore’s interpretation of this part of the world, and little has slipped his astute gaze.

Tel Aviv, March 23, 2011

Large crater, Negev Desert, September 29, 2009

In the urban city of Tel Aviv, Shore captures cosmopolitan Israel in the bustling streets, busy cafes and growing number of high rises dotting the skyline. In the Negev the desert’s arid moonscapes and isolation draw the reader’s eye and in Jerusalem his portraits of local residents give context to daily life in this ancient holy city.

Shore says with this book it is his intention to tell a story about Israel that isn’t loaded with the stereotypes of “suffering and heroism, of victims and perpetrators”, labels often associated with this part of the world.

Tel Aviv, June 17, 2010

Jerusalem, September 23, 2009

Ramallah, October 3, 2009

In "From Galilee to the Negev" each chapter leads with an essay that addresses one particular image. Written by leading artists, writers and academics the essays add another layer to this complex work. To give a flavour of the writing, the chapter ‘Galilee’ features the New Yorker’s Jane Kramer in response to Shore’s image ‘Sderot’ taken in September, 2009. This photograph comprises a map, a man’s hand pointing and his shadow cast across part of the image. Kramer writes: “The map in Stephen Shore’s photograph is, as maps go, neutral, something a pilot might use to get his bearings, benignly distant from the problems of the ground. Its divisions are faint, vague, even reassuring – thin red lines that in reality, have been drawn and redrawn, in the course of three wars, with the blood of thousands of young Arabs and Israeli soldiers”.

This is a book that takes time, you can’t rush through it if you have any intention of understanding it. Give the essayists their due and read their words, ingest the images, listen to others’ thoughts and allow your imagination to run free. Leave behind the snippets of history that dwell in memory and make you think you know Israel. Take Shore’s journey of discovery, meet the people, walk across the pebbled roadways, wipe the grit of sand from your face, and jostle for position at the local market. These are the joys of photography, allowing your imagination to drop you into a photograph to wonder.

From Galilee to the Negev, Stephen Shore £75 / €85 Phaidon 2014

Phaidon

Book:

The Waters of Our Time

Thomas and Giancarlo T. Roma

There is something quite seductive about The Waters of Our Time and its fictitious narrator, a woman who has lived all her life in Brooklyn. As she shares her intimate story, the words meld with the photographs of Thomas Roma, a master photographer, who has spent much of the past forty years photographing Brooklyn his hometown.

(C) All images Thomas Roma - From The Waters of Our Time published by powerHouse Books

This is the second time Thomas and his son, Giancarlo T. Roma, have collaborated. In The Waters of Our Time Giancarlo pens what is at times truly lyrical verse that sings to his father’s photographs, which he has used as a visual storyboard on which to build his narrative.

"The Waters of Our Time" is a story of love, memories and the passing of time. And it is also a story about the relationship between a man and his father. I haven’t seen the hardcopy of this book, but if the PDF is any indication, it’s worth spending sometime in the Roma’s Brooklyn. Available from powerHouse Books New York

Exhibition: Melbourne

A Window that isn't there - Group Show

(C) Daniela Gullotta

This exhibition is based on the premise that there is a "tug of war between what we see with our eyes and what we see with our internal memories and visions". Works include photographs as well as multi-media. Exhibiting artists - Daniela Gullotta, Norian Paicu, Amelie Scalercio, Luhsun Tan, Michael Vale and Philippe Vranjes. Curated by Michael Vale.

Strange Neighbour

11 July - 2 August

395 Gore Street

Fitzroy

Exhibition: Melbourne

Rod McNicol - Memento Mori

Monash Gallery of Art (MGA) is currently showing a series of portraits from Australian photographer Rod McNicol. One of the Prahran College of the Arts alumni in the 1970s, McNicol has won numerous prizes for his portraiture work which is held in major institutional collections including the Bibliotheque Nationale (Paris), Art Gallery of New South Wales, National Gallery of Australia, National Gallery of Victoria, National Library (Canberra), and MGA.

In this exhibition there are a number of dual portraits of the same person taken years apart, as shown here. McNicol has clearly had a particular vision for this series, which he's carried through the years. Hanging together the images tell a story of the passing of time, and hint at the journey of the individual pictured. There are also solitary portraits, but these duo are in my opinion the strongest of the work on show.

(C) All images Rod McNicol

Until 31 August

Monash Gallery of Art

860 Ferntree Gully Road

Wheelers Hill

Exhibition: Sydney

Eden Diebel - Germinate

(C) Eden Diebel - Germinate

Blackeye Gallery

3/138 Darlinghurst Road

Darlinghurst (Sydney)

Until 13 July

Artist's Talk Saturday 28th June at 3pm

Coming Soon:

Interview with Kerry Payne

(C) Kerry Payne from Left Behind

Next week I am interviewing Australian photographer Kerry Payne who is now based in New York, but I wanted to share a couple of her images this week to hopefully whet your appetite. Sometimes you see work and are just blown away by it and that was my immediate reaction to Payne's photography. Deeply emotional and at times painful to view, Payne intimately explores issues around subjects that are largely still taboo in the modern world such as mental health and fertility. This is brave, courageous and infinitely important work.

Photography art Gallery Friday Round Up - 8 August, 2014|Photography Art Definition

This week on Friday Round Up new exhibitions for Melbourne and Launceston, John G. Morris’ Get the Picture documentary, American photographer Michael Ast’s new book, and Your Daily Photograph. Plus this week’s Picture of the Week.

Picture of the Week:

(C) Mahmud Hams - Gaza August 5, 2014

Documentary Film:

Get the Picture  - John G. Morris

(C) Peter Turnley 2014

If you haven’t seen this fantastic documentary on John G. Morris by Cathy Pearson check it out via the link below. Morris is such an entertaining and erudite man and his thoughts on photojournalism really should be required “hearing” for anyone interested in the medium. He’s also a really nice guy, and I was lucky enough to meet him last year at Visa pour l’Image.

For those of you who don’t know Morris, he was picture editor for Life and for the New York Times, amongst other titles, and a close friend of Robert Capa, Henri Cartier-Bresson and Eugene Smith. He was also the picture editor who was first to run with Eddie Adams now iconic image from the Vietnam War (see below), on the front page of the New York Times, which he talks about in the film. He’s also worked with a great many contemporary photographers including Peter Turnley who took this intimate portrait of Morris in Paris this year, Morris’ favourite city. Turnley also features in the film along with Paolo Pellegrin and Don McCullin amongst others. This is one of the best documentaries I've seen. Period.

(C) Eddie Adams

To view Get the Picture click here

Exhibition: Tasmania

Another Country

(C) Matthew Newton

On Friday night the exhibition “Another Country” by photographers Matthew Newton and Sarah Rhodes opens at Sawtooth Gallery in Launceston, Tasmania. It’s not often that we hear from the Apple Isle and it is thanks to Newton’s marketing savvy that Photojournalism Now received the information. That might sound trite, but you would be surprised how many photographers don’t promote their work.

“Another Country” explores the remote communities of Tasmania in large format photographic portraits, landscapes, and still life compositions. Many people still live in pockets of Tasmania that are quite isolated and in some ways have been forgotten by the modern world. These hidden folds are captured by Newton and Rhodes in very different, yet complementary styles.

(C) Sarah Rhodes

“Inspired by historical accounts and contemporary political dialogue we aim to hint at narratives and relay the experiences of strangers met in settings that spur our own emotions. Ultimately, this body of work is a meditation on small town life and the landscape,” says Newton.

Newton is a seasoned photographer and cinematographer, and notably has been awarded for his work documenting the vulnerability of Tasmania’s forest for the past decade. For this work he’s been a finalist in the Australian of the Year awards and the Walkley Awards for excellence in journalism. Newton has also been a finalist in the National Portrait Prize, the Moran Prize for Contemporary Photography and the Bowness Photographic Prize on a number of occasions.

Above images (C) Matthew Newton

Rhodes is an emerging contemporary photographic artist. She uses portraiture as a means of exploring themes around identity. Rhodes has exhibited at Photoville in New York, and she is also a finalist in this year’s Bowness Award. Her work is held in public and private collections including the National Library of Australia and the Charles Blackman Trust.

Above images (C) Sarah Rhodes

Guerilla Event

Inspired by the Elizabeth Street Gallery in Sydney, the pair will also undertake a “guerilla event” adorning an abandoned building in Launceston’s CBD with a series of A0 sized prints from the exhibition.

Until 30 August

Sawtooth Gallery

2/160 Cimitiere St

Launceston

To view more of Newton's work please click here

To view more of Rhodes work please click here

Exhibition: Melbourne

NotFair Art Fair

NotFair, Australia's independent art fair opens in the inner Melbourne suburb of Collingwood next week. NotFair began in response to the lack of opportunities for artists without gallery representation, to show their work. NotFair's "principal role is to conduct a biennial art exhibition to launch the careers of emerging, undervalued and lesser-known mid-generational artists". This year Melbourne-based photographer Hari Ho is the only photographer included in the selection. Ho is showing three images from his series "Monuments and Ruins".

All images (C) Hari Ho

NotFair Art Fair

12 Peel Street

Collingwood

Opening 14 August 6-8pm

NotFair exhibition

15-17 August

Book Review:

Michael Ast - Trying to Find the Ocean

(C) Michael Ast

The first thing I noticed about American photographer Michael Ast’s debut book is how these images carry the tempo of a city, in this case Baltimore, Maryland. It is almost as if Ast’s camera is a barometer for the mood of this town seen in its human and animal inhabitants, its concrete structures, cracked roads, dilapidated buildings and steaming vents.

In “Trying to Find the Ocean” Ast creates a seamless narrative that gains momentum as the pages unfold and there is definitely a sense that as you move through this book you are part of a journey that is both physical and allegorical...(to read the review in full and see more photographs please click on the Book Reviews tab at the top of this blog).

Your Daily Photograph

August Guest Curator – Alison Stieven-Taylor

(C) Brian Cassey - one of Alison's selections

For the month of August Alison Stieven-Taylor is guest curator for Your Daily Photograph, which is an initiative of the Duncan Miller Gallery in Los Angeles. Each day subscribers receive an email – Your Daily Photograph – that features curated photographs that are available for sale (click here to view). This daily email is sent to the Gallery's subscriber-base of around 3800 dedicated photographic art collectors. “In the recent past images from Henri Cartier-Bresson, Andreas Gursky, Richard Misrach, Andre Kertesz, Edward Burtynsky and other photography legends have appeared in Your Daily Photograph”.

Gallery director Daniel Miller says the idea began in 2012 when a collector who wanted to sell a large and diverse collection of photographs approached the gallery. “We started emailing one picture everyday to a small list of our collectors, and the "Daily" was born,” says Miller. “The list grew by word of mouth among collectors, and we began to accept subscribers. After some time, we added a few categories to each email, to present more kinds of photographs to our subscribers, which now stand at around 3800”.

As the subscriber list has grown so have sales, but there’s no formula to what sells and Miller says, “different collectors have very different tastes and each one has unique interests that is influenced by a range of things such as age, education, habits and even geographic regions. We are constantly surprised by which images have the highest demand”.

In the digital world where we are inundated with images Miller says the average collector can be overwhelmed. As a result Your Daily Photograph’s curated selections have found a niche for “serious collectors”. And it has also helped photographers to find new markets as well as representation and exhibitions. Check out the website to see comments from photographers who have participated in Your Daily Photograph.

If you haven’t signed up yet, you can subscribe here. Alison’s curated collection continues until the end of August.

Photography art Gallery Friday Round Up - 12 June, 2015|Photography Art Definition

This week on Friday Round Up - the third annual Portrait(s) Festival opens in Vichy, France, the Ballarat International Foto Biennale launches its annual fundraiser, and Yellow Korner's June Pop Up Galleries with Serge Ramelli.

Photos of the Week:

Road melts in New Delhi Heatwave May 2015

(C)Harish Tyagi/EPA

Migrants gather rain water, Myanmar June 2015

(C) Soe Zeya Tun/ Reuters

Festivals:

Portrait(s)

Vichy, France

12 June - 6 September

Bruce Wrighton - At Home

In 1988 American photographer Bruce Wrighton died at the age of 38 leaving behind an extraordinary series of portraits taken in the small town of Binghampton, in New York State, where he lived. These portraits capture ‘the disinherited of America,’ anonymous citizens who came across Wrighton's path. Around 30 of these portraits are on show at Vichy. Wrighton's work sits amongst some of my favourite street photography.

Kourtney Roy - Self-Portraits

Another favourite photographer is Canadian Kourtney Roy whose series of self-portraits tackle the issue of female stereotyping. In these highly stylised, almost cinematic images, Roy poses as the pin-up, air hostess and beauty queen amongst others, exposing the farcical notion of the perfect woman.

Alejandro Cartagena - Carpoolers

Dominican photographer Alejandro Cartagena’s series Car Poolers documents thousands of Mexican workers as they cross Mexico City on their daily commute. Using the same framing for each image, Cartegena’s series evokes the monotony of this daily grind.

There are also works by Mat Jacob, Elliott Erwitt, Ronan Guillou and Martin Schoeller on show amongst others.

(C) Ronan Guillou

(C) Mat Jacob

(C) Martin Schoeller

Ballarat International Foto Biennale

Annual Fundraiser

This year the Ballarat International Foto Biennale will be held from 22 August - 20 September in Ballarat, 90 minutes from Melbourne.

At the annual fundraising event for the Biennale, to be held Sunday 12 July, 150 prints from 150 photographers will be up for grabs. Buy a red dot for $125 and select your image. If you can’t attend on the day, you can select online. Photographs have been donated by Australian and international artists to help the Festival raise funds. Visit thewebsite for all the details.

Sunday 12 July

Gallery Eleven40

1140 Malvern Road

Malvern (Melbourne)

Yellow Korner POP Up Galleries

This month Serge Ramelli and his epic black and white works of Paris and New York are in focus at the Yellow Korner Pop Up Galleries - check out the website for details.