Catalogue Text
The landscape has been integral to the New Zealand psyche since humans first set foot on these shores. It has been a dominant feature in New Zealand art, as subject, metaphor and inspiration; from music to dance to painting to literature to film.
‘Approaches’ represents a sustained effort to describe the contemporary vernacular landscape of New Zealand through the medium of photography.
There is a general perception of what landscape photography is and what it should be. ‘Approaches’ brings together the work of seven photographers who consider the New Zealand landscape to be much more than the stereotypical “100% Pure”.
The act of photography suggests a documentary narrative but it is never wholly objective. We can not escape our desire to create a reading that fits our own world view. That is as true for the artist as for the viewer.
The works in this show may not fit everyone’s definition of landscape photography, but what connects the work is each artist’s desire to explore not just ways of representing the New Zealand landscape in a broad sense, but also to explore techniques of capturing the landscape.
While each artist presents work which initially reads as a document of site, as individual series their work has a greater depth which resonates with their individual world view. As an exhibition, the works present a New Zealand that is not often seen.
Andy Palmer
Curator
July 2006
Press Release
There is a general perception of what landscape photography is and what it should be. ‘Approaches’ brings together the work of seven photographers who consider the New Zealand landscape to be much more than the stereotypical “100% Pure”.
Each photographer’s take on the subject is purposely non-traditional, while leaving room for the tradition to breathe.
Curated by Andy Palmer, the show demonstrates Palmer’s broad take on what landscape is and how it can (or should) be represented. From the nostalgic recent Polaroid work of Dan Lucka, to the purely abstract pinholes of Matt Grace, there is an understanding of the tradition of landscape photography.
The work of Andrew Ivory, Jodi Keet, and Andy Palmer all suggest the sweeping vista, but each in their own way subverts this idea. Sharyn Jones and Shaun Lawson have a much more intimate, and arguably human, response. Jones looks at suburbia from the outside while Lawson looks at the inside.
Together the work in ‘Approaches’ represents a new New Zealand landscape.
An online version of the exhibition can be seen at www.acpalmer.com/approaches.html. The show runs at Photospace Gallery in Wellington from 14 September until 10 October.
