May 25th, 2017
There is still time left to visit “A Photographer’s Life – Part One” … my featured Head On Photo Festival 2017 exhibition in Sydney.
Despite the dual events of my exhibition opening and the festival opening now well over two weeks ago, both events are still going strong for yet another couple of weeks.
The launch of “A Photographer’s Life – Part One” on the beautiful walls of historic Juniper Hall (completed by convict settler Robert Cooper in 1824) surpassed expectations. Really special was the attendance of bloody brilliant news photographer colleagues Phil Hillyard, David Gray, Rick Stevens, Glenn Campbell, Dean Lewins, Michael Amendolia and Paul Blackmore (there’s an astonishing number of ‘Walkleys’ amongst that lot!).
The following day, Sunday, saw the obligatory exhibition ‘artist talk’ … and a couple of surprises. As the crowd gathered two old friends materialised that I had not seen for many years. Turning up unannounced in support (or to heckle) were … old mate from the Brisbane years way back – Jules Kovacs … and the eternally lovely Barbara Sotiriadis from the early days in Cairns. Wonderful …
Apart from the obvious exhibition opening, visiting amazin’ exhibitions and catching up with a host of great photographers and friends that I don’t see often enough or at all … a highlight of my week at Head On was to take a place on the panel in the festival key debate on the topical subject “Does photojournalism facilitate or counteract fake news?”.
Felt distinctly honoured to take a place on the panel alongside US documentary photographer Maggie Steber, Israeli photographer Natan Dvir, social media expert Kyla Woods, photojournalist and founder of Everyday Climate Change James Whitlow Delano and founder of Everyday Japan Q. Sakamaki … whilst Melbourne photography journalist Alison Stieven-Taylor took on the ‘moderation’ task. The top floor of The Beauchamp Hotel venue was packed for the vigorous and constructive hour plus of discussion. Great fun …
Perhaps it’s timely to say a huge ‘Thanks’ to Head On driving forces Moshe Rosenzveig and Anita Schwartz, Lauran Vohmann and the rest of the HO crew … also the great team at the Moran Foundation’s Juniper Hall headed by Cathy Brown and Craig Brush … and Sonja and Chris at Arthead Mossvale for their brilliant work printing the exhibition. Really appreciate all your collective efforts to make it such a success.
“A Photographer’s Life – Part One” continues at Juniper Hall, 250 Oxford St, Paddington 10am to 4pm Wednesdays to Sundays till June 4th.
Pics … from top … “A Photographer’s Life – Part One” opening event at Juniper Hall (top two), a bunch of very talented photojournalists (and me) at the exhibition opening (l to r – David Gray, Rick Stevens, Michael Amendolia, myself, Dean Lewins, Glenn Campbell and Phil Hillyard), Head On director Moshe Rosenzveig opens my exhibition, the photojournalism debate panel at the Beauchamp Hotel (l to r – Alison Steven-Taylor, Natan Dvir, Q. Sakamaki, Maggie Steber, James Whitlow Delano, myself and Kyla Woods), a couple of the walls of my exhibition at Juniper Hall … and a promotional work outside the Moran offices in the Sydney CBD.
Images © Brian Cassey (6), Michael Amendolia (1) and John Swainston (1)
Moran & Head On Photo Festival … Sydney Wrap & Chat …
A packed ten days in Sydney town … (with a quick dash back to Cairns in the middle.)
Plenty of reasons to make the trek to Sydney for the 10th Head On Photo Festival … my “Rain Over Black Mountain” work on the walls of the Moran Contemporary Photographic Prize Finalist exhibition and a fantastic prize announcement eve bash … an ‘artist talk’ to a nice receptive crowd at the Moran Prize Juniper Hall Gallery … hanging and the opening of my “18 Minutes Inside Manus Detention Centre” Head On exhibition at White Rhino Artspace … a glimpse of my Head On Portrait Prize semi-finalist “Tomotaro on the Block” at Paddington Town Hall … AND the opportunity to see brilliant work on many and varied exhibition walls and spend some quality time with many photo colleagues and friends old and new. It all went far too fast …
I could rave on for pages about the all the happenings over the ten days … but will have to abbreviate this just to the (many) highlights … here goes …
The grand opening eve of the 10th Head On Photo Festival and announcement of prize winners … including the camaraderie in the pub afterwards … with photographers David Dare Parker, Tracey Nearmy, Melanie Russell, Tami Xiang, Max Mason-Hubers, John Swainston and many more … pic editors News 360’s Neil Bennett and Fairfax’s Mags King … and photo industry personalities Alison Stieven-Taylor and Sally Brownbill.
A personal tour of the wonderful exhibition “Heat” at the Bondi Pavilion by the very talented photographer and great guy in question Paul Blackmore.
The opening eve of the exhibition of the work of infamous eccentric photographer Helmut Newtown in the gallery of the equally eccentric paparazzo Darryn Lyons … and the artist talks there by David Bowie photographer Masayoshi Sukita (who was celebrating his 81st birthday) and US music photographer Chris Cuffaro … followed by more pub natter with Natalie Grono, David DP, Max MH and more.
In Paddington Reservoir Gardens, the “Photos 1440” exhibition by the SMH with personal ‘commentary’ by pic editor Mags King and staff photographer Kate Geraghty … and also the brilliant images in “Like Last Years Snow” by Oded Wagenstein.
Head On ‘Conversations’ … two of the panel talks stood out … “Recapturing the Audience : Why is Nobody Paying Attention” … and “Truth, Lies and Censorship” (with US professor and artist Jennifer Greenburg outstanding in the later).
The great work of mate David Dare Parker covering the Rohingya story … “Exodus : Rohingya Refugee Crisis Bangladesh” … on the walls of the Delmar Gallery.
The truly memorable eve at the Moran Contemporary Photographic Prize opening and 2019 results at Juniper Hall and the spill over into the Imperial Hotel next door (with a whole bunch of great photographers and mates). Great to see “Rain Over Black Mountain” on the walls amongst other finalist works from a host of so talented colleagues (too long to list but you know who you are !).
My little ‘chat’ (‘artist talk’) to a crowd on a pleasant Sunday afternoon at Juniper Hall for the Moran Contemporary Photographic Prize.
Fantastic to see my work “18 Minutes Inside Manus Detention Centre” on the walls again … this time at the ‘White Rhino Artspace’ as part of the Head On Photo Festival. A huge Thanks to ‘Rhinos’ Catie and Regula for their help hanging and organising a thoroughly enjoyable ‘opening’ event that attracted many visitors … some of which were old friends/colleagues who I hadn’t seen for many years.
Lastly, but nowhere near least, the fabulous hospitality shown by the Head On Photo Festival crew … both widely across the entire festival and at the Paddington Town Hall ‘Hub’. Moshe (OAM), Anita, Stephen, Paula and all of you … I profusely Thank You !
Below … from top … Images © Brian Cassey … “Rain Over Black Mountain” on the wall of the beautiful Moran Contemporary Photographic Prize gallery, Juniper Hall … White Rhino Artspace owners Catie and Regula hang my “18 Minutes Inside Manus Detention Centre” work on the walls of their St Leonard’s gallery … the Head On Photo Festival crew (with director Moshe Rosenzvieg OAM second for left) during the “18 Minutes Inside Manus Detention Centre” exhibition launch at White Rhino Artspace … my Head On Portrait Prize semi-finalist work “Tomotaro on the Block” displayed at the Head On festival ‘Hub’, Paddington Town Hall.