Wet But Fine Exhibition Opening …
It was raining of course … it is the wet season after all. But that didn’t stop people turning up in droves to the launch of my “The Aak Puul Ngantam Stockman” exhibition at The Tanks Arts Centre in Cairns on Friday evening.
It was brilliant to see so many friends, colleagues, fellow photographers (many of whom I don’t catch up with often enough!), new acquaintances and faces from years long past, brave the elements to attend, share stories and down the odd drink.
Many Thanks must also go to charismatic indigenous leader Bruce Martin who took time out from his manic schedule to open the exhibition.
The Tanks exhibition space is expansive, full of character, versatile … and wonderful. In addition The Tanks crew of curator Chris Stannard, Olivia, Gio, Belinda and Lisa – have done a wonderful job of curating, hanging and letting the world know about my work.
Spread around the huge space are my thirty two images – fourteen large portraits of the Aak Puul Ngantam crew each on their own floating wall and eighteen prints of the APN mustering operation. It all looks fantastic.
The images in the exhibition were made at the Cape York Peninsula mustering operation whilst working on a story for ‘The Australian’ … and have since, gratifyingly, received some critical acclaim and awards.
If you did miss the opening night ‘launch’ the exhibition will run till March 2nd in tank 4 of The Tanks Arts complex Cairns.
Below are three images of the exhibit at The Tanks – the top two show the character of the space with some of my prints in place, whilst the third is from the opening night celebrations.
ABC Radio was just one of several media outlets to publicise the exhibition and opening eve and you can listen to Fiona Sewell’s great work in interviewing yours truly on the ‘Play’ page of my web site – or alternatively here below …
Images © Brian Cassey – Audio courtesy ABC Far North ©
Pecha Kucha? … What The Hell Is That … ?
“Pecha What ?” That was the question I asked of ‘The Tanks Arts Centre’ curator Chris Stannard over a beer after the Degree South collective exhibition “PEACE” about a year ago.
Turns out that ‘Pecha Kucha’ – ‘the art of concise presentations’ – is a world wide phenomenon.
The idea is that you present and comment on twenty of your images in a slide show in front of a live audience … each slide changes automatically after twenty seconds. Quick bit of maths gives you a presentation time of six minutes and forty seconds. Apart from that there are no rules. Just entertain your audience with your pics and words.
Apparently the format was devised by a couple of architects in Tokyo in 2003 … and has now spread around the planet to over seven hundred and twenty cities in over a hundred countries. Now one of those 700 plus, Cairns showed it’s first Pecha Kucha at the wonderful ‘The Tanks’ venue in 2011. It has been steadily growing in popularity since.
Sounded a fair idea … so I lost my Pecha Kucha virginity last May with “The Dogs of Sai Kung” in Cairns volume #7.
Next Wednesday eve sees the first Tanks Cairns Pecha Kucha presentation for 2014 – Cairns volume #10 – and I am once again amongst the presenters – over a dozen for the night. I have selected images made in our closest neighbour Papua New Guinea and the subject is “The Impossible Ban on Betel Nut” selected from my “Betel Nut Ban in PNG” essay.
A Pecha Kucha evening is a great opportunity to network, catch up with friends, fellow artists and photographers, share a beer or three, promote your work and see the images of others – and The Tanks is a great venue.
Below is just one of the images from my presentation next Wednesday. The image shows betel nut (buai) traders with their produce at Eight Mile on the outskirts of Port Moresby following the ban on trade and sale. Come along from 6.30pm and see all the imaginative and creative work on show.
Image © Brian Cassey