“A Photographer’s Life – Part One” at The Tanks …
It has been an absolute pleasure to bring my “A Photographer’s Life – Part One” exhibition back to Cairns. More than half the featured works were made in the Cairns or north Queensland region (the remainder from various parts of the planet).
The work was originally collated as a ‘featured exhibition’ in the 2017 Head On Photo Festival earlier this year and was hosted by the Moran Foundation at the heritage listed Juniper Hall in Paddington, Sydney. The exhibition was selected by eminent photography journalist Alison Stieven-Taylor as one of the top five exhibitions in the festival (from a total of 147).
When I approached The Tanks curator Chris Stannard with the idea of showing the work in Cairns he didn’t hesitate … and he and his team has worked a miracle to get it up and launched before the years end. I owe Chris and his team … Ulys, Lou, Ivan and the team … a massive vote of ‘Thanks’. Indeed … the exhibition has been ‘tweaked’ since Sydney and, in all honesty, looks significantly better than it did in the gracious surrounds of historic Juniper Hall.
In particular, the camera hardware referred to in the exhibition is featured more prominently at The Tanks … and there also a few ‘kit’ additions. Thanks to a donation by fellow photographer David Hancock, the exhibit now includes the first ever usable digital photojournalist camera from the 90’s … the then massively expensive Kodak Nikon AP NC2000 … and a long forgotten United Press International ‘wire’ drum photo transmitter from the 70’s to the 80’s. These sit alongside a collection of my very used and battered Nikon kits … and examples of my earliest cameras from the very first plastic VP Twin way back when I was a pre teen.
There are also two large TV screens continuously showing five of my video features including the multi award winning “Eyes – the Soul of a Photograph”.
Exhibition opening eve last Friday was wonderful … and I’d like to thank the many who arrived and made it such a great night. TA !
“A Photographer’s Life – Part One” is showing at The Tanks Arts Centre, Cairns till January 30th 2018 … with a short break for Xmas festivities between 23rd December to January 2nd.
Finally … on the day of the exhibition opening I was interviewed on ABC Radio Far North by affable breakfast presenter Kier Shorey … about the exhibition, work and life … and, if you fancy, the near thirteen minute audio is below.
Images at The Tanks © Brian Cassey
Rural Press Awards … there is a free lunch …
… but I won’t be there for it!
Was invited to a free lunch tomorrow at The Tattersall’s Club in Brisbane for the presentation of this year’s “Excellence in Rural Journalism Awards” … but sadly can’t take it up.
Seems my image of young indigenous girl “Mowisha from Jumbun” has been selected as the Winner of the ‘Excellence in Rural Photography – People’ award. The pic was made whilst I was working in the Jumbun aboriginal community in the Murray River valley near Tully, North Queensland for an SBS story “The Town at the End of the Road” by Mark White.
Jumbun residents, like little Mowisha, are predominantly from the Girrimay and Dyirbal Aboriginal clans. Her community of about a hundred are battling the controlling Indigenous Land Council to resurrect a farming industry. The 200ha Jumbun property is still listed on the ILC’s books as Jumbun Farm, despite nothing currently being grown there by its residents. That wasn’t always the case. Jumbun was founded in 1975 as a farming community under the Whitlam government, By the 1980s it was growing produce including bananas, pumpkins and zucchinis and exporting to Sydney and Melbourne. However, changes in farming practices, crop blight and cyclones meant the industry dried up.
Residents are desperate to revive the community’s fortunes but have received no support from the ILC to help them restart farming produce and running cattle. The community needs to produce to stave off the prospect of disappearing completely. For little Mowisha Jumbun is her home, history and possible employment … but without farming the future of her community is, indeed, bleak.
This was the first time that I’ve won anything whilst working for SBS … but hopefully not the last. Gratifyingly, this is the third year in a row that I’ve been named the ‘People’ category winner (here … are this year 2018, 2017, 2016). Don’t know if I can keep that one up …!
Below – the Winning “Mowisha from Jumbun’ image – © Brian Cassey