wotwedid

This afternoon we attended the opening and book launch of Robyn Stacey’s latest project “House to House” at Jan Manton Art in Brisbane.

http://www.stillsgallery.com.au/exhibitions/2011/index.php?obj_id=stacey

Jan Manton introduces Dr Amanda Bell who opened the exhibition

The work on show at Jan Manton Art is but a small selection of a larger body of work that was on show earlier this year at Stills Gallery in Sydney. This was a great selection from the larger show and included the book launch of a considerable volume on the historic house project. Working to extend the perception of the curatorial selection and exhibition, Stacey has embedded narrative and playful sense of discovery in the images she created of these objects.

Victoria Cooper

Stills Gallery show: Tall Tales and True

http://www.stillsgallery.com.au/exhibitions/2011/index.php?obj_id=2011_05&nav=4

A comment by Doug Spowart

A veteran of museum and archive still life subject matter Robyn Stacey presents at this showing, 6 large-scale colour photographs. The photographs deserve and reward intense observation as each image is akin to peering through a magnifying glass where finite detail is revealed as the eye moves across the plane of view. Most photographs blend artefacts form the historical houses alongside the contemporary living subjects, usually of flora, fruit and nuts.

The images exist as tantalizing trompe-l’œil. The viewer is drawn through the photographic surface by the artist’s careful compositional placement of subject, the descriptive lighting employed, and the now uncommon experience of large format camera sharpness. Here the original visual experience of the texture, depth and space of what was carefully placed before the camera is reconstituted on the gallery wall.

Today, as growing response to the immediate digital snapshot, a movement called ‘slow photography’ is emerging taking its lead from the ‘slow’ food movement) These photographs, made as planned, considered, composed, placed, illuminated and imaged are perhaps the epitomy of the movement. David Hockney once proposed that the more time the artist takes making an artwork the more the viewer will get out of it. Robyn Stacey’s work is made with time and therefore will reward even the most intense, continued and considered observation.

Robyn and Vicky talk about the work

Photos: Doug