Archive for April 2011
WORLD PINHOLE DAY: April 24, 2011
‘Round the [w]hole world today pinholers were out having fun – Making their images for the 2011 WPD.
We have just purchased an OLYMPUS EPL1 a Micro Four Thirds digital camera. It features interchangeable lenses, 12 megapixel capture and HD Video – It’s not the latest and greatest but it is very reasonably priced @ around $450 at JB-HiFi or Harvey Norman.
What is exciting is we drilled out the body cover – put about a 10mm hole in the middle and stuck an old home-made pinhole into it and made pictures. In ‘LiveView’ mode you can even see what you are shooting and, better still, we are shooting pinhole movies!!! In fact out 2011 WPD offering will feature a ‘stilled’ image (SEE Below) with a link to a YouTube video.
Still from the Pinhole Movie: "Being There . . ."
HERE IS THE LINK http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yk4vnbzTqOU
Vist the WPD Site for other contributors: http://www.pinholeday.org/gallery/2011/
Our WPD images:
2011 http://www.pinholeday.org/gallery/2011/index.php?id=924
2010 http://www.pinholeday.org/gallery/2010/index.php?id=2464&Country=Australia&searchStr=spowart
2006 http://www.pinholeday.org/gallery/2006/index.php?id=1636&Country=Australia&searchStr=cooper
2004 Vicky http://www.pinholeday.org/gallery/2004/index.php?id=1553&Country=Australia&searchStr=cooper
2004 Doug http://www.pinholeday.org/gallery/2004/index.php?id=1552&Country=Australia&searchStr=spowart
2003 http://www.pinholeday.org/gallery/2003/index.php?id=615&Country=Australia&searchStr=spowart
2002 http://www.pinholeday.org/gallery/2002/index.php?id=826&Country=Australia&searchStr=spowart
EASTER 2011 – At the Beach: WOOLI
Well Easter has come and gone – WOT DID YOU DO? Did it rain? Were you able to get away? Did you mow the lawn? Did you get to the Beach? Did you do things that you’ve been hanging out to do?
Well, Here’s what we did . . . .
Entering the Sunlight: Entering the darkness
'White Shadows' The Book: On Wooli Beach
SEE: Other Wooli Books on our website
http://www.cooperandspowart.com.au/2_PLACES/WOOLIflipBOOKS/index.html
SEE: An introductory WOOLI BEACH video on YouTUBE
April – QCP Artists of the Month
This month we are ARTISTS OF THE MONTH on the QUEENSLAND CENTRE FOR PHOTOGRAPHY website
SEE the site here: http://www.qcp.org.au/
GLEN O’MALLEY visits Toowoomba April 12+13, 2011
Significant Queensland documentary photographer Glen O’Malley visited Toowoomba over the last few days to catch up with old friends and acquaintances. On the evening of April 12 he made a presentation and showed recent work to students from the Southern Queensland Institute of TAFE.
Glen is one of Queensland’s great photography characters. Well known for his street documentary photographs which go back to the earliest days of ‘art photography’ – his first solo exhibition was held in 1975. Coming from way up north, near Babinda, Glen has for years been a master of traditional black and white. In recent years he has ‘crossed over’ to the digital and that has opened up a whole new vision for him – one that is very coloured. Originally trained as an artist Glen considers his ‘colourist’ background has re-emerged in his digital capture.
Another aspect to the O’Malley style is that he is a surrealist. Images in recent exhibitions ‘Hotplate Heaven’ and the ‘Pet Show’ feature prosaic home environments which are inhabited by ordinary looking people who do the most bizzare things. His latest work for a new show at the Queensland Centre for Photography in June. The exhibition is entitled ‘What a night!’ and features not only his own work but also images by Kellie White.
Students viewing Glen and Kellie’s works
Glen and Kellie’s work feature images made at night or dusk with flash or torch work illuminating the subject. Technique is one thing but the images are something else – they are, as you might expect, surreal but there is more! The images appear as spontaneous, serendipitous and intuitive moments. Intrigue and mystery are embedded in each image and do demand intense and prolonged viewing
Glen frames his point
Some of Kellie’s images
Some of Glen’s work
Written by Doug Spowart
DOUG’s ‘Borderlines’ Book Wins QAIPP Photographic Book of the Year
On April 9 & 10 the Queensland Division of the AIPP held its 2011 Professional Photography Awards. The photographic book of the year category was won by my BORDERLINES book, my FLIP-Book NARCISSUS MEETS HIMSELF ON THE ROAD TO BUNDANON was the runner-up. Although not a heavily contested category it was a great thrill to have the book receive the award as well as a SILVER WITH DISTINCTION certificate.
The Toowoomba Chronicle ran a quick news story with portrait and story – See text only here CHRONICLE 13 April
MORE TO FOLLOW
http://www.thechronicle.com.au/story/2011/04/12/local-photographer-scoops-award
SCU Acquisitive Artists Book Award – February 26, 2011
Judge: Prof Ross Woodrow
The 2011 Southern Cross University’s Acquisitive Artists Book Award was announced at the Next Gallery in Lismore on February 26. Shortlisted works represented a cross section of the discipline from sculptural books to the ephemeral oddities, readymades, recycled, sticks ‘n’ feathers and solidly traditional weighty codexes. The exhibition was a ‘something for everyone’ sampler of contemporary approaches to the art—whatever that may be.
The exhibition venue, whilst modest in size, amply accommodated the works and gave an intimate viewing experience to the books. Importantly the gallery places the works within the centre of the Lismore Central Business District enabling a very public connection to artists’ books as art gallery presentation content. This is contrary to the almost secular way in which this kind of work is presented in libraries and specialized venues.
Professor Ross Woodrow, from the Queensland College of Art, as this year’s judge was charged with the responsibility of selecting works to compliment the books already held by the university’s library that are used not only for exhibition and reading, but also for lecture discussion samples.
Woodrow listed his three principal criteria for selection; (1) the best books for the collection, (2) personal taste and (3) books that look like books and acted as books. His selection of 3 books confirms this criteria:
- Lyn Ashby: The Ten Thousand Things, digital prints, Arches Watercolour paper, boards, 24 x 30cm closed, Edition 50.
- Peter E Charuk: Glacies Lux, digital photographs, 21 x 34cm
- Peter Lyssiotis + Ann-Marie Hunter: A Modern Forest, screenprint, 26.3 x 17.5cm Edition 10, Publisher: Mastertheif / Psyclonic Studios
Viewing books @ the NEXT Gallery
As usual the judge’s selections have created some contention in the artists book scene. Some commentators on the awards seem to miss the point that this is an acquisitive award that contributes to the university’s teaching library of artists books. Each acquisitive award event is presided over by a different judge and different areas of artists book practice will be represented in their selection. Ultimately the winner is everyone interested in artists books as the collection will quite possibly become one of the most diverse, in terms of examples of exemplary practice, in the country.
More viewing of books
An online catalogue is available for viewing on the Next Gallery Site
Check it out!
Cheers
Doug
Judging the Myrtle Street 2011 Pinhole Photography Competition
Over the last few days we’ve been involved in the judging of a new and unique photography award – The Myrtle Street 2011 Pinhole Photography Competition. Initiated and organised by artist and gallerist Jay Dee Dearness of Myrtle Street Studio this is a new and exciting opportunity for pinhole photographers to present their best works.
Our comments on the judging were:
TWINSCAPES Opening – March 12, 2011
Japanese pinhole photographer Hideharu Matsuhisa presents the exhibition The TwinScapes @ the Caloundra Regional Art Gallery – March 9 ~ April 10.
PHOTOS: Mark Schoeman
Hide has been a regular visitor to Australia for many years – staying with Brisbane photographic identity Ian Poole. For 7 years Hide has been working with pinhole film cameras in Japan, the US and Australia. The Caloundra gallery exhibition is a selection of his color pinhole images made over this period.
As pinhole photographers and friends to Hide we supported his exhibition by providing pinhole cameras and other resources. We were invited by Hide to include two camera obscura images to be included as visiting artists in his show. On the morning of Saturday 12th we presented a lecture on pinhole photography to around 40 participants. After lunch John Waldron, (Cultural Heritage & Collections Manager, Creative Communities, Sunshine Coast Council) presented a commentary on Hide’s approach to pinhole photography (SEE http://lucidamagazine.com/?p=414). We officially opened the exhibition.
The TwinScapes exhibition features color pinhole imagery that has the profound feeling of a memory – in encountering the works the viewer may have a sense of looking at the image of a past experience. Hide’s feeling for the sweeping expanse of the Australian landscape is complimented by the tight compositions of urban Japanese buildings.
Thanks Hide for sharing your “light” with us.
'Trees in fog' by Hideharu Matsuhisa
GIRRAWEEN National Park Weekend, March 25, 26 & 27
Back on granite @ Girraween
I wonder if our shadows are still there
when we return I will check the rock and let you know.
Vicky under the picnic tree
Doug taking a break
wotwedid 
