Exhibitions opening this Saturday 20th June 6pm and on display from June 18 - July 5
Gallery 1
Symbiote - photographs by Michael Randall
“Symbiote” opened this week at Newcastle Art Space. This is the first solo exhibition by photographer Michael Randall since winning the Newcastle Emerging Artist Prize last year. Michael has a Bachelor of Fine Art (Honours) from Newcastle University and is currently working full time to support his art practice.
Symbiote literally means:
An organism in a symbiotic relationship
In cases in which a distinction is made
between two interacting organisms, the symbiont is the smaller of the two and
is always a beneficiary in the relationship, while the larger organism is the
host and may or may not derive a benefit.
In conversation
with Michael earlier this week, he discussed his ideas about the role of
traditional versus digital photography, his love of the study of the origin of
words (etymology), and his interest in the relationship between the natural
world and our human interaction, impact and influences upon it. Would the natural world flourish if humans
ceased to exist? Do we need the natural
world and are they tolerating us?
His new works are
self portraits in which Michael has staged himself in conversation with aspects
from the natural world. While using a
digital camera and output, Michael voiced his belief in the significance of
maintaining the hand-made aspect of making a photograph. To this end, he paints and decorates his face
and body in real time so that everything necessary can be found on the digital
negative. Photoshop intervention and
alteration is reduced to that found in minimal
dark room processing. It must be his
hand that controls the shutter-release cable and takes the exposure as he wants
to stay connected to the process and not off-load any aspects, if at all
possible.
These are absolutely
beautiful images and while, of course, any art work may have autobiographical
elements, Michael both exposes and hides himself within these self portraits. He
paints his body in white, chocolate and black paint to play with ideas about
identity, culture and ethnicity, even though these are not necessarily
conscious connections being made by the artist.
In one work, in
particular Michael talked of literally painting himself out of the picture completely
and letting nature be the stronger. In
other works Michael has directly attached plant species with human spine-like
lines over his own spinal structure. The
plant species visually support and strengthen his body in an area where he now
has a fine surgical scar to repair physical damage.
In another, his
shoulders and upper body are covered in flower petals from the family
garden. The plant had ceased to flower
each year, and only after the family buried the loved family dog near the tree
did it burst with new life and colour. A
new interdependent relationship was formed in the natural cycle.
From my viewer
perspective, I am so excited about the strength of this work and the beauty and
balance within these works. While my
connections to the works, tell the combined story of my physical viewing of the
work mixed with my own interpretation of visual clues that I found within the
work, this experience may be different for every new viewer. That
is the magic of photography and the wonder in art.
Michael prefers to
talk less about himself and his work and let the work speak for itself but I
have opened up this dialogue with Michael’s permission. It is, of course, only one perspective. Michael is happy to be contacted via email at m.a.randall@hotmail.com
Film Noir - storytelling through photography by Joerg Lehmann
When he was a small boy, Joerg Lehmann
was being pushed in a pram through the dark alleys and streets of Germany by
his great grandmother. As a street light
broke into the darkness, the young boy spoke his first word – licht (German for
light). Joerg has been fascinated with
light ever since and with a father and grandfather both amateur photographers,
the love of the camera and photography was destined to be absorbed by Joerg.
While Joerg has sold work and undertaken
commissions, his current work Film Noir,
Storytelling with Photography, marks his first solo exhibition as a
photographer. Joerg comes to Newcastle
via, Melbourne, San Francisco, California and Germany, settling in Newcastle in
2014. He is a husband and father and currently works in radiation therapy at
the Calvary Mater Hospital as a research physicist and is an Associate
Professor with the University of Sydney.
He is an Accredited Professional Photographer (APP), a Certified
Professional Photographer (CPP) with the Professional Photographers of America
(PPA), and certified by Special Kids Photography of America (SPKA) with
specific training to sensitively work with children with special needs.
The images are positioned along the
gallery walls as if they are one large strip of black and white film.
Technically these are digital photographs
printed mostly as silver halide archival prints. Joerg sourced the 8ply museum rag mats used
in the frames from the United States specifically for these works. These are a
small limited edition range of prints so a red dot does not mean the entire
edition has been sold. Talk to Joerg and
gallery staff for details.
Joerg has a studio at the Newcastle
Community Arts Centre where he teaches photographic lighting techniques and can
be contacted via email at: joerg@photoJL.com
for collaborative projects and any commercial photographic opportunities. His website can be found at: www.photoJL.com
Anyone who enjoys black and white photography
and the nostalgia of early film-making must see these works. Definitely an
enriching experience talking to Joerg this morning.
Chris Byrnes
NAS Committee
NAS Committee
