Today … Tuesday 30th January … was the last day at The Tanks, Cairns for my “A Photographer’s Life – Part One exhibition … tomorrow is the day the works come off the walls and the cameras and photographic hardware get packed away (somewhere!). Thanks to all for the wonderful feedback …
Coincidentally, I spent today preparing the image files for my next exhibition soon to open at The Fox Gallery in Melbourne.
Thanks to ‘Fox’ gallery owner Tom Goldner … my work from inside the Manus Island asylum seeker detention centre in Papua New Guinea following it’s closure by the Australian government with over six hundred refugees still desperately ensconced therein … will be unleashed on a Melbourne audience from the 24th February. “Inside Manus Detention Centre” will consist of seventeen images documenting the plight of those from the Middle East, Africa and Asia who have faced years long incarceration at the will of the Australian government … with still no future on the horizon.
The images in question were made on assignment for News Corp with journalist Rory Callinan. We had been on Manus for less than a day when we found ourselves on a small local boat headed for Australia’s ‘closed’ Lombrum detention centre … a trip made by several refugees and local boatman to smuggle foods and medicines into the camp. Our time ‘inside’ was brief but long enough to show the desperate situation inside the camp where there was no food, water, medication, power or services. Weeks later all six hundred odd were forcibly removed.
Whilst I’m at the ‘Fox’ I will also be presenting a two hour talk and slide show (on Saturday the 24th) based on my “A Photographer’s Life” work … and you can secure a spot by visiting here … https://www.thefoxdarkroom.com.au/product/artist-talk-brian-cassey-photographers-life/ .
Below I’ve posted a couple of images from “Inside Manus Detention Centre” which runs at ‘The Fox Gallery” Kensington, Melbourne from grand opening eve on 23rd February (to which you are invited) till 4th March.
Images © Brian Cassey.
