In just two weeks I will officially lose my ‘curatorial virginity’ when “The Genesis Project” – a feature and headlining exhibition event of the ‘2014 Head On Photo Festival’ – opens on May 20th at the ‘M Contemporary Gallery’ in Woollahra Sydney.
‘Genesis’ is the result of the germ of an idea, persistence and a lot of hard work … and the faith of ‘Head On’ director Moshe Rosenzveig.
The concept of the exhibit is to examine ‘at what point do photographers become photographers’ ?
What were the catalysts that transformed a child, teen, young adult into a potential devoted pro photographer. The moments when through creating an image they realised “this is what I want to do – become a photographer and make photographs – to capture life’s moments”.
I have asked renowned photographers from a range of photographic disciplines to delve back into their individual photography archives from childhood and onwards – and rediscover some of their first photographs taken on their first, sometimes primitive, cameras – images from their first rolls of colour – their first pics on an SLR – their first published photograph – and the moments that moved or excited them.
To tell the stories of those formative creative moments that helped mould them into the experienced passionate photographers that they have now become.
We have assembled fabulous unseen images and previously untold stories from our photographers who share their insights into their compelling work from their earlier days experimenting with or developing as a photographer and the pivotal moments in their careers.
Here is our impressive list of contributing photographers – Ben Lowy, Roger Ballen, Murray Fredericks, Chris Rainier, David Dare Parker, Fiona Wolf, Jackie Ranken, Katrin Koenning, Martine Perret, Sam Harris, Glenn Campbell, Jon Lewis, Peter Eastway, Craig Golding, John Donegan, Peter Solness, Phil Hillyard, Moshe Rosenzveig … and then there’s me too …
I thank them all.
All are more than welcome to attend the opening eve of a very different and engaging photographic exhibition, Tuesday May 20th from 6.30pm at ‘M Contemporary Gallery’, E37 Ocean Street, Woollahra, Sydney.
You may bag yourself a real photographic collectors item.
Below is one of my two personal ‘seminal’ images – made many many decades ago in Portugal on the first roll of colour transparency film I ever shot – that will be one of the works on sale at “The Genesis Project”. The image has been scanned directly from the original faded, mouldy and dusty Agfa slide. To see the full story behind behind it and the similar works of our contributing photographers please come to the exhibition that will run from opening night May 20th till June 8th.
Image © Brian Cassey
