Archive for the ‘Doug Spowart’ Category
TAKING AuNZ PHOTOBOOKS TO THE WORLD – The Vienna Photo Book Festival
The MomentoPro AuNZ Photobooks of the Year @ VPBF
In the Antipodes we think we are far away from the centre of activities in so many areas of human endeavour that we just get on with it – doing it our own way. The field of photobooks is one such area.
Recently I had an opportunity to take photobooks from our part of the world to Europe and present a ‘show ‘n’ tell’ at the Vienna Photo Book Festival in Austria. Before the event I was wondering how our books would be received – would they match the Euro photobook for production values, innovation and story-telling capability? I would soon have my answer…
I presented a lecture on Australian and New Zealand photobooks and spent two days with Victoria Cooper and Lachlan Blair on our book presentation table featuring the finalists and winners of the 2016 MomentoPro Australian and New Zealand Photobooks of the Year Awards (ANZPOTY).
The answer to the question I posed earlier would soon be answered.
In a series of 3 blog posts I will tell the story of three aspects of the Vienna Photo Book Festival (1) the lectures, book and print sales, (2) my lecture and (3) the Vienna Photo Book Reviews.
Read on: THERE ARE 3 BLOG POSTS WITH THE DETAILS … links below…
The LECTURE
The EVENT
https://wotwedid.com/2017/06/18/aunz-photobooks-the-vienna-photo-book-festival/
The REVIEW SESSIONS
https://wotwedid.com/2017/06/18/review-panels-at-the-vienna-photo-book-festival/
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THE ANTIPODEAN PHOTOBOOK – a lecture at the Vienna Photo Book Festival
Doug Spowart presenting The Antipodean Photobook at Vienna Photo Book Festival
THE LECTURE: THE ANTIPODEAN PHOTOBOOK
My lecture brief was to make an hour-long presentation about the Australian and New Zealand photobook scene. After some thought I organised my lecture content around 4 distinct areas.
1. The supporting structures
The contemporary scene was to be included covering both practitioners and the major events in AuNZ that have shaped and contributed to the development of strong network and community of practice. The key events, movers and shakers such as:
- Photobook Melbourne
- Photobook New Zealand
- Unless you will 2017 event and book reviews
- Melbourne Artbook Fair
- Sydney’s Volume Another Artbook Fair
- Zinefairs
- The Photobook of the Year Awards
- Bookshops
- Perimeter Editions
- m.33
- T&G
- Rim Books
- Remote Photobooks
- Perimeter
- Photobook Clubs
- Asia Pacific Photobook Archive
- Photobook collections
I commented also on the sources of critical discourse on photobooks in AuNZ.
The role of Libby Jeffery and Geoff Hunt of MomentoPro as patrons and supporters of all things photobook in Australia and New Zealand was acknowledged.
2. Photobook histories of Australia and New Zealand from first examples to 2000
Here are a few slides from the presentation…
I was able also to present a discussion on the challenge of commercial book production as against personal work using Wes Stacey as an exemplar.
I also spoke about the informal links that exist between the photobook and artists’ book disciplines.
3. The contemporary scene and a selection of interesting books and makers
Here are a few slides from the presentation…
4. Voices from the Antipodean scene
It was important for me that contributors to the photobook discipline in Australia and New Zealand be given an opportunity to provide their personal insights to my presentation.
I sought comments from a range of key contributors and received responses from Libby Jeffery, Daniel Boetker-Smith, Helen Frajman, Harvey Benge, Bruce Connew, Garry Trinh, Sam Harris, Ying Ang, Anith Totha, The 2018 Photo Book Wellington Committee.
Here are a few slides from the presentation…
My concluding comment was that AuNZ and the Asia-Pacific regions offer new and refreshing ideas of what a photobook could be and the stories of peoples outside of the usual Euro/Americano scene.
I invited all attendees to visit our table and view the Photobook of the Year finalists and winners and offered, as an additional incentive a copy of the Awards booklet.
My lecture was well attended by festival participants from different parts of Europe including Martin Parr, Photo historian Hans-Michael Koetzle and collectors with an interest in the AuNZ books.
After the lecture Martin Parr and I discussed AuNZ photobooks that he was aware of and commented that in my lecture he had seen many new books. Our conversation continued later that day and he, Gerry Badger, and probably most of those who attended the lecture came to our table to look at the books.
Martin Parr at the AuNZ photobook table PHOTO: Lachlan Blair
SEE ALSO
The EVENT
https://wotwedid.com/2017/06/18/aunz-photobooks-the-vienna-photo-book-festival/
The REVIEW SESSIONS
https://wotwedid.com/2017/06/18/review-panels-at-the-vienna-photo-book-festival/
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AuNZ PHOTOBOOKS @ The Vienna Photo Book Festival
The exhibition at Brotfabrik Wien
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THE FESTIVAL: LECTURES, ACTIVITIES, OLD+NEW BOOKS & PRINT SALES
(from the ViennaPhotoBookFestival website)
The Artistic Directors, Regina Maria Anzenberger of Anzenberger Gallery and Michael Kollmann of OstLicht Gallery state that:
The ViennaPhotoBookFestival is celebrating its 5th anniversary on the 10th and 11th of June 2017 and to celebrate the medium of the photobook accordingly we have set up an exciting program. In addition to prominent guests like the Magnum legend Bruce Davidson and the creator of The Photobook: A History and Magnum photographer Martin Parr, we are expecting the photo critics Gerry Badger and Hans-Michael Koetzle, the Russian photographer Nikolay Bakharev, archipelago founder Magali Avezou, the chief curator of the Italian center for photography Camera Francesco Zanot, the Danish photographer Krass Clement and the Swiss photographer Rene Groebli, who is celebrating his 90th birthday this year.
Also in 2017 we are following the vision of a modern platform that helps to create networks between publishers, rare photobook dealers, independent publishers, artists and students. In addition, the festival’s international lectures will attract photobook aficionados from all over the world making Vienna a photobook metropolis once again.
The AuNZ Photobook of the Year set of books
Early Saturday morning along with 100 other table holders we unpacked and set-up our display. Around us other table holders offered everything from prints to booksellers of new and antiquarian books, student groups and educational institutions from all over Europe. There were special activities including a 10×8 Polaroid portrait and wet plate photography studios.
Our ANZ PBOTY display was positioned next to our Austrian/expat Australian friend Lachlan Blair’s table. Although he had paid for his table to show his beautiful photogram works and prints, Lachlan also shared the table minding duties with us. With his support we all were able to attend lecture events and also checkout other VPBF tables.
The exhibition space with the AuNZ table in the foreground
Lachlan Blair’s photogram print display
The history of the photobook was represented by significant collections and booksellers – I held a copy of Roy DeCarava’s Sweet flypaper of life… Lazlo Moholy-Nagy’s essay in Telehor from 1936 – books by Blossfeldt, Brandt, Van Elsen, Klaus Clement. I held back – a limited budget, though my new friend from Russia Natalia had an amazing handmade book by Julia Borissova that I had to buy, other books were bought and some were swapped – one of these was Surveillance by Valentyn Odnoviun which featured the circular observation peep-holes from Gestapo, STASI and KGB prisons – a most chilling yet remarkable book, this work was inspired by his father’s incarceration for 3 years on false charges.
Classic photobooks
Valentyn Odnoviun with his book ‘Surveillance’
Martin Parr was interviewed by Verena Kaspar-Eisert at the opening event – the room was full. Parr was the complete mischievous interviewee as Verena teased out some interesting facts and comments from this ‘Photobook Rock Star’.
Martin Parr being interviewed by Verena Kaspar-Eisert
Sunday continued the frantic pace – lectures, including one by Bruce Davidson, another by Nikolay Bakharev and Klaus Clement interviewed by Gerry Badger.
Krass Clement being interviewed by Gerry Badger
As the hours wore down there was a frantic activity to see other tables and catch up with as much as one could handle. MomentoPro had also sent along with the books around 30 of the little catalogues and these became gifts to selected viewers of our books… these included collectors, teachers serious photobook makers and others from the photo press and of course Anzenberger, Badger and Parr.
We received many statements from viewers complimenting the quality of our books some even saying that the work was better than the general European scene. In response to people wanting to buy ANZ books we suggested direct connection with the photographers websites, bookshops and online stores in ANZ. One collector came to us on Sunday and excitedly exclaimed that he had been in contact with a NZ photographer and had bought the book…! Katrin Koenning+ Sarker Protick’s Astres Noirs APOTY winner could have been sold many time over as it’s 1st edition is ‘sold out’ and is now a rarity – luckily the Anzenberger Bookshop had copies of the 2nd edition.
Gerry Badger with Sonia Lenzi at the AuNZ table
Martin Parr at the AuNZ table
In the final minutes of the 2016 VPBF all table holders packed up their displays of books and prints leaving behind a vacant space that had once held so many books, their stories and those who make or care for them. We left the building, said our goodbyes, repacked suitcases with new books and a couple of hours later Lachlan took us to Vienna airport to catch our flight home.
Regina Maria Anzenberger and Doug Spowart
It’s now the middle of the plane flight somewhere over the Black Sea – about 1.35am. I’m still pumped and excited to have been able to have made this foray into the European photobook scene. I also want to acknowledge the support of Regina Marie Anzenberger and Michael Kollmann from Vienna Photobook Festival, Libby Jeffery and Rony Wilson of MomentoPro, Lachlan Blair and my partner Victoria Cooper,
For many people in the northern hemisphere Australia and New Zealand will be known not just as an interesting travel destination but rather a place where a dynamic photobook network of practitioners exists making great books….
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What follows is a selection of images from the event…
SEE ALSO:
The LECTURE
The REVIEW SESSIONS
https://wotwedid.com/2017/06/18/review-panels-at-the-vienna-photo-book-festival/
MAUD GALLERY CAMERA OBSCURA – for one day only
The Maud Gallery window to become a Camera Obscura
As a final event for Maud’s Festival of the Darkroom on November 26 between 12.00 Noon and 4.00pm we worked with Louis Lim to convert the Maud Gallery front room into a public Camera Obscura. We invited members of the Brisbane photo community to join with us for a look back to the origins of photography.
What follows are photos from the event…
Set-up day with Louis Lim, Ana Paula Estrada and Gillian Jones
The Maud camera obscura team – Louis Lim, Doug+Vicky PHOTO: Louis Lim
The Maud camera obscura team – Louis Lim, Doug+Vicky with Maud Director Irena Prikryl. PHOTO: Louis Lim
Outside looking in ––– The Maud Gallery Camera Obscura
Camera obscura viewers sitting on the couch – note two holes… PHOTO: Louis Lim
Inside the Maud Gallery Camera Obscura
Inside the Maud Gallery Camera Obscura
The Maud Gallery toilet was also converted into a camera obscura
The camera obscura in the Maud toilet PHOTO: Louis Lim
Vicky standing before the two pinhole projection – someone came in and let the light in…
Photographer Neil while making a photograph becomes a camera obscura imaging surface…
Gallery Director Irena takes a tea break…
Cooper+Spowart: 16 years of Camera Obscura Collaborations
In our collaborative work, we are interested in both the physical construct and cultural conventions that inform and shape us. This includes the common rituals and structures that surround, support and transport us in our everyday lives. In this work we have extended the context of documentary photographic methodology to include the narrative potential of the camera obscura and architectural projections.
Bedroom Camera Obscura 2000 (Y2K)
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Avochie Bathroom Camera Obscura
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In the camera obscura work the viewer’s perception of the everyday is spatially challenged. The structures that can form camera obscura are everywhere, but some spaces present themselves as clearly suitable for the making. This could be a city office, a motel room, a country bathroom or even a car. Our work attempts to contextualize the experience of the camera obscura within a concept, space or site. Upon entering the darkened space, the viewer is initially displaced, as the familiar image of the everyday is dim and unrecognizable. Then after time spent in the camera obscura, the image becomes clearer and the familiar is re-established ultimately resulting in a relocation of the observer’s awareness of place.
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City of Dreams – Ibis Hotel sunrise over Sydney
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The Travelodge camera obscura 2008
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Some background on the set-up for the Travelodge camera obscura:
Simple black garbage bags and some black electrical tape from the local 711 store. An aperture cut from a ‘found’ piece of aluminium – size around 8mm … we don’t use sophisticated glass lenses – these are direct light projections. A digital camera bares witness to our experience by capturing the image of the camera obscura projection.
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Blacking out the room
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We were watching TV …
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OUR MOST RECENT CAMERA OBSCURA: ORPHEUS ISLAND BEACH TENT
(A collaborative event with John de Rooy, Spyder Displays and the Orpheus Is Photo Workshop)
Our Spyder Camera Obscura
A DUO View of the scene and the Camera Obscura image
TO VIEW OTHER CAMERA OBSCURA WORK BY COOPER AND SPOWART SEE THE LINKS
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Our Website:
http://www.cooperandspowart.com.au/4_PROJECTS/RoomCameraObscura-Project.html
Our car converted into a camera obscura and driven across Australia:
http://www.cooperandspowart.com.au/4_PROJECTS/CarCamera-Project.html
Two New Zealand Camera Obscuras in the the Queenstown Rydges Hotel:
https://wotwedid.wordpress.com/2012/05/07/two-new-zealand-camera-obscuras/
A public Camera Obscura performance and live video:
https://wotwedid.wordpress.com/2013/04/22/camera-obscura-pinhole-event-foto-frenzy-a-report/
YouTube videos:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lyA5QP-mX-E
A camera obscura at the Queenstown Centre for Creative Photography:
https://wotwedid.wordpress.com/2012/05/07/camera-obscura-qccp/
A World Pinhole Day Camera Obscura at Mt Barney:
https://wotwedid.wordpress.com/2013/04/29/world-pinhole-photography-day-our-contribution/
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Closing off the hole in the Travelodge Hotel camera obscura
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© 2013 Victoria Cooper and Doug Spowart for 16 Years of Camera Obscuras Project
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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
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ODE TO TARAGO CARCAMERA OBSCURA
Just turned 500,000 kms on the Hay Plains near Balranald, NSW
Today I was just remembering when I first bought
the Tarago as a new car…
It was a smooth car/van in 1986 even though it was a 1985 model.
… I was its sole owner
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Although Doug was a major driver and sharer of the running costs
then there are all those kilometers we three have travelled
Doug, Me and Tarago….
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We have travelled, camped, forded flooded creeks, pushed through tracks that only
four wheel drives should go, crossed the sea (Tasmania), been invaded by possums,
carried our art, groceries, garden waste, house moving, friends, family,
and even a tour group of Japanese tourists,
Dodged kangaroos except for one that jumped into the side of us,
driven through bull dust without getting bogged,
though – monsoonal rains,
locust plagues, searing heat,
snow, sleet and frost, wild winds,
And beautiful spring days …
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Dodged crazy drivers that were talking on mobile phones while simultaneously writing
in a book resting on the steering wheel!!!!
And then there was that really big spider that walked across the windscreen while I was driving…
was it inside or outside – not sure where that ended up?
The Tarago survived break-ins back in the Imagery Gallery days in Fish Lane …
There were the breakdowns… we all have so why not CarCamera Obscura Tarago?
But Treg… you always got her going again – Thank you so much …
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Tarago suffered our singing along with the old cassette tapes
of the Travelling Wilburys, George Harrison and Pink Floyd
We planned, we imagined, we argued, we laughed, we cried, we did many things
We ate fish and chips on the Great Ocean Road …
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We made the car into a camera obscura! And drove it across Australia …
Just as we celebrated 630,000 km …
the journey for our Tarago was to end….
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We said our farewells – April 10, 2016
The Tarago CarCamera Obscura will be auctioned we were told…
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A PICTURE STORY OF OUR TARAGO CARCAMERA OBSCURA
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Wooli Camera Obscura with the Tarago
TRAVELLING LIGHT-Invitation from the Qld Centre for Photography show
630,000 km – the final reading
Frontpiece for the Photospace exhibition at the Australian National University
Transcontinental Crossing graphic
The CarCamera Obscura in the Ottway Ranges
The Tarago at the Combo Water Holes near Winton
The CarCamera Obscura folio was a finalist in the LEICA CCP Photodocumentary Awards
CarCamera Obscura graphic – how it works…
The CarCamera photographed as a projection @ Bundanon in 2007
A CarCamera Obscura on the Barkly Tablelands 2005
Negotiating a hairpin bend at Mt Buffalo, Victoria
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PHOTOBOOK WORKSHOPS by Spowart+Cooper @ Maud Gallery
Doug doing a show ‘n’ tell with examples of their handmade photobooks and artists’ books
Vicky making a presentation on constructing narrative in the photobook form
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As a companion to the exhibition of the Australian and New Zealand Photobooks of the Year at Maud Gallery we developed and presented a workshop series on the Photobook.
Our next series of Photobook workshops are in the planning stage – if you are interested please get in contact with us by filling out the form at the bottom of this page….
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- These workshops are ideally suited to people who want to know what is happening within the discipline
- How to DIY photobook projects within your studio workspace
- How to access and master online Print-on-Demand photobook-making services – their needs and products.
- One-on-one mentorships.
The program has the following 4 sessions:
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DIY PHOTOBOOKS: YOU CAN MAKE IT FOR YOURSELF
Show and tell tips, tricks and secrets
The photobook ‘Borderlines’ by Doug Spowart
Participants will engage in a lecture presentation that will develop a broader understanding of what a photobook can be—extending them beyond just a collection of photos into a resolved personal narrative of high technical and aesthetic values.
$35
Wednesdays – 2.5 hours, 6pm-8.30pm
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DIY PHOTOBOOK DESIGN and INKJET PRINTING
Demonstrate, share and do – tips, tricks and secrets
Photoshopping a book
In participating in this workshop you will gain awareness and knowledge of how to create documents and templates, design, colour manage (for books), select papers, prepare files, print and output self-made photobooks.
$70 including materials (limited to 8 participants)
Saturdays – 3 hours 9.30am-12.30pm
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MAKING IT – THE HANDMADE PHOTOBOOK
Demonstrations and Practical hands-on
Making a book
- Folding, stitching and sewing
- Materials, methods and making
- The 8-page single sided fold booklet
- The 3-hole pamphlet stitch
- Concertina and snake books
$70 including materials (limited to 8 participants)
Saturdays – 3 hours 1.30pm-4.30pm
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PHOTOBOOKS: THE ONLINE (PRINT-ON-DEMAND) + TRADE BOOKS
Demonstrate and share tips, tricks and downfalls
POD and trade books
- Working with Print-on-Demand service providers
- Using Publishers and Trade Printers
- Coffee table books, Zines and Newspapers
- Colour management
- Selecting a provider
- The things that no one ever tells you…
$40
Wednesday April 20, 2.5 hours, 6pm-8.30pm
BOOK HERE: http://photobookspod.eventbrite.com.au.
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NEW PHOTODOC SHOW Curated by Doug @ Maud Gallery
In-situ – Frontispiece
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IN SITU: New Photodocumentary Work
At the end of 2015 I was the external assessor for the Queensland College of Art Bachelor of Photography Documentary stream. The work that I encountered from their recently completed documentary photography projects was inspiring. The projects that they had engaged in employed an ‘embedded’ methodology. Each photographer created stories expressing concepts and ideas that I felt deserved a wider audience. As some of the projects crossed-over into the slippery areas of art and concept documentation I felt that presenting the work in this context would encourage comment and discourse.
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Doug in an assessment @ the Queensland College of Art PHOTO: Earle Bridger
I sought support from Irena Prikryl, Director of Brisbane’s Maud Gallery, with my intention being to curate a show of selected works. Over a week I forwarded to Irena websites and links to the student’s works – each submission was met with a response – ‘these photos are awesome!’ Irena then offered an exhibition early in 2016. In discussions with students I found that one of them was interested in curating and gallery management – so an honorary internship was offered to Gillian Jones.
The rationale for exhibition is as follows:
Every photograph is a document. A photographic document may be about a friend’s smile, a family event, a dramatic storm cloud or a dent in a car door. But, what about those documentary images that tell us about the greater aspects of life in our times? These other photographs can encompass the tragedies of human suffering, of rituals and habits, of things that escape our casual view of the world and documents of hidden acts, a performances or a ‘happening’.
The documentary photographs in this exhibition are made by photographers not working as the casual iPhone snapshot ‘photographer’ of today, but rather individuals who embed themselves in human and natural environments to witness, to empathise and to document with a camera so a story can be shared.
The documentary photographers in this exhibition present their work as evidence of what they have seen, felt and been touched by. This work represents new photodocumentary practice and will place viewers in situ – surrounded by issues of contemporary life…
The exhibitors who accepted the invitation were:
Follow the links to the Maud Gallery website to see the projects (NOTE: Some links may now be inactive)
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Chris Bowes for the work ‘Sweat‘
Richard Fraser for the work ‘Pup play and beyond – exploring Brisbane’s BDSM subculture’
Gillian Jones for her work ‘Choice, Chance or Circumstance‘
Louis Lim for his work ‘Waiting for Sunshine‘
David Mines for the work ‘Beautiful one day perfect the next?
Thomas Oliver for his work ‘Disconnection‘
Marc Pricop for the work ‘Our Place in The Valley‘
Elise Searson for her work ‘Karen’ Lyme disease sufferer
Cale Searston for his work ‘BLU‘
The show was opened by arts writer Louise Martin-Chew on March 9 who was to comment at the beginning of her address that:
I am not an expert on photo documentary: my interest is in art and artist stories. I’m interested in the way in which we may tell and share these stories most effectively, and it is the many narratives, often those that are hidden unless you are part of that experience, or sub culture, that is at the heart of this exhibition of new photography.
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Louise Martin-Chew opens ‘In Situ’ PHOTOS: Irena Prikryl
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Well over 120 people attended the exhibition opening. A cash bar operated with the profits going to the Lyme Disease Association of Australia charity – associated with Elise Searson’s project’
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Opening attendees
Opening attendees
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Some views of the exhibition:
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David Mines’ ‘Beautiful one day perfect the next?’
Elise Searson’s ‘Karen’ Lyme disease
Richard Fraser’s ‘Pup play and beyond’
Thomas Olivers’ ‘Disconnection’
Louis’ ‘Waiting for Sunshine’
Chris Bowes’ ‘Sweat’
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Over the course of the exhibition each of the photographers presented a floortalk at the gallery. One contributor was Thomas Oliver, who is currently studying overseas in Toronto, Canada presented a Skype session in the gallery before his work.
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Gillian Jones presenting her floortalk
Thomas Oliver giving his floortalk by Skype
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The exhibition concluded on the 20th March with a dinner for the exhibitors and gallery members within the white walled empty space of the gallery.
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The artists’ dinner @ Maud Gallery
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In my comments at the opening of the exhibition I stated that a documentary photograph does not exist until it is publically distributed. The exhibition, In Situ: New Photodocumentary Work, put this work and the stories it contains before an audience. Everyone seeing it may interpret this work differently; such is the nature of the photodocument. Perhaps the true value of photodocumentary work can be summed up in Louise martin-Chew’s closing statement:
The power of this collection of works by a very talented group is simply summed up I think: Art may not be able to save the world, but it has an unparalleled ability to help us understand the individuals that comprise a community, a country, a continent = the world. And that may be sufficient.
Thank you to Irena Prikryl and Maud Gallery, Gillian Jones, the contributing photographers and Louise Martin-Chew for a memorable and powerful photodocumentary exhibition of new works.
Dr Doug Spowart
Louise Martin-Chew’s opening address can be seen on her website: HERE
New-PhotoDoc Catalogue
A catalogue of selected works from the show can be downloaded: NEW-DOC-CATALOGUE
Each of the photographer’s works can be seen on the Maud Gallery website under the participant’s names in the OUR ARTISTS menu – they can be purchased from the site as well.
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