Photography and New Media Art

Cute Otter Test

2008-03-10T11:23:00.001+13:00

linking an image

2008-03-10T10:51:00.002+13:00

Dance! by Clearly Ambigious

2008-03-06T14:37:00.000+13:00

Linking to an Image

2008-03-06T14:12:00.002+13:00

Red and Orange Butterfly on a yellow flower - France - July 2006 by Gaetan Lee

2008-03-06T14:09:00.001+13:00

2008-03-06T11:03:00.000+13:00

Whitewater Swimming

2008-03-06T10:28:00.002+13:00

Whitewater Swimming by tarotastic

image test

2008-03-03T13:51:00.006+13:00

"In the Shadow of a Flower" By Hamed Saber

hyperlinking fun!

2008-02-28T10:47:00.001+13:00

This is the wordpress website

'Double' Exhibition at Blue Oyster, NZ

2007-05-12T10:40:00.000+12:00

i check my e-mails every hour | Rachel Gillies
Photographic Print | All rights reserved by the artist.

I am currently exhibiting this work in a show called 'Double' at the Blue Oyster Art Project Space in Dunedin, New Zealand. The exhibition is curated by Ana Terry, and explores ideas presented by artists who work significantly with self-portraiture. There is a good representation of photographic works in the exhibition, and I think that the self-portrait in photography is particularly interesting. There are also sculptural, ceramic and drawing works, which show the extent to which all artists consider the 'self' at some point in their practice.
You can read a full description of the exhibition and download a pdf version of the catalogue here on the Blue Oyster Website.

Jim Wylie on the BBC

2007-05-12T10:24:00.000+12:00

See my previous post about artist Jim Wylie and you can check out his website online too.
Watch the video though -it's not long and it's really good. (tip, once you start the video, press pause and let it download before you play it - especially on slower internet connections.) Enjoy!

glasgow art v's edinburgh castle

2007-05-04T09:01:00.000+12:00

Kelvingrove tops the tourist charts
Edinburgh Castle has been knocked off its pedestal as Scotland's number one tourist destination by the refurbished Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum.
The Glasgow gallery, which reopened in July, welcomed 1.9 million visitors last year as compared to the 1.2 million who visited Edinburgh Castle. VisitScotland chief executive Philip Riddle commented: "Scotland's wide range of visitor attractions are a crucial part of our tourism industry, attracting visitors from Scotland and the rest of the UK and around the world. Last year was particularly exciting, with the reopening of Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum delighting visitors. It is also encouraging to see overall growth in the number of visitors across the board."

BBC Scotland Online

Head On- Photography Portrait Prize - Annual Competition (Australia)

2007-04-18T05:47:00.000+12:00

Paul Gosney Dianne - Cashier, Victoria Mart
2006 Finalist

I thought I would just quickly link to this portrait prize in Australia, Head On, which seems to capture that perceived Australian spirit with it's 'alternative' slant.
The image above is from last year's selection, and this year's finalists are about to open at The Australian Centre For Photography (ACP) in Sydney this month.
It's great to see photography thriving round the globe.

Well done to Richard Boll! Photography Portrait Prize 2006

2007-04-13T08:43:00.000+12:00

Joe (from the series 'Pavement')
by Richard Boll
© the artist

Congratulations to my friend Richard Boll who recently won the Photographic Portrait Prize 2006 with the National Portrait Gallery, UK (formerly the Schweppes Portrait Prize.)

text below from the National Portrait Gallery website:

"The fourth annual Photographic Portrait Prize has been won by Richard Boll, 29, for 'Joe'. His first-prize winning photograph was taken outside his flat on Brighton's seafront and is the result of a four-minute chance meeting with Joe, a total stranger walking past, who initially did not want to be photographed. After eventually agreeing to the photograph, Joe left Richard Boll and both went their separate ways. But once he had heard the portrait had been shortlisted for the Photographic Portrait Prize, Boll set about trying to track 'Joe' down. Having called at local pubs with a copy of the picture to ask if anyone had seen him, he eventually found him outside a café.

Part of a series of 'very informal, quickly shot' portraits of passers-by, entitled Pavement, the winning photograph was taken on a hot day in June of this year. Joe is shown standing with his arms at his sides, exposing a naked torso adorned with beads, bracelets, tattoos and a naval piercing. He carries a bottle of water and a long-strapped bag is wrapped around his shoulder. 'Joe immediately interested me' says Richard Boll. 'It was a quick encounter, four minutes, most of which was spent persuading him to pose. Joe insisted he wasn't photogenic. I disagreed. With this kind of portraiture, there's a level of trust that has to be won in a short space of time, and I always tell my subjects to be themselves. It lets them know I'm not out to misrepresent them; that I'm not being unkind.'

In Boll's portrait, Joe's stark but enigmatic facial expression and ambiguous pose seem to convey both confidence and vulnerability. 'In Joe's portrait there are some details that hint at a certain level of vulnerability, but these are played off against other details, like his tattoos and adornments, that suggest a real resilience and self-belief. His expression is quite complex and defies interpretation.'

Joe was shot using a Canon 1 Ds Mk II plus one camera flash in order to control the exposure of the subject whilst over-exposing the background and throwing it out of focus. While the figure of Joe dominates the portrait, behind him two cars give added depth to the background and symmetry to the overall composition. 'I didn't appreciate the significance of having the cars in the background until I was looking at the image later' he says. 'I now feel they really hold the portrait together.'

Richard Boll (b1977) graduated from the Edinburgh College of Art with a degree in photography in 1999. He has photographs in the libraries of Getty, Millennium and Famous. In 2004 he won the Audi /Next Level Award for contemporary photography, with pictures of empty painting and sculpture studios in an art college. Born in Kenya but brought up on the Isle of Wight, Boll began taking photographs as a teenager, experimenting at first with black-and-whites of the local landscape. Inspired by photographers such as Irving Penn and Nadav Kander who juggle art and commerce, Boll now specialises in still life and architectural client-work while also pursuing his own personal projects. He hopes to exhibit his Brighton series Pavement in the near future. 'Brighton has a very diverse population' he says 'that's why I enjoy taking portraits there. If I can't take a decent portrait in Brighton, I can't take one anywhere.' "

Magnum Photographer's Blog

2007-04-01T14:52:00.000+12:00

I'm really enjoying being subscribed to the Magnum Photographer's Blog, which is updated regularly and keeps me informed with their latest projects.
'Magnum Photos' is a photographic library which is co-operatively owned by its photographer-members. I assume this means that all benefit from the licensing of their stock photographic images rather than the business models of Getty Images or Corbis Corporation (owned by Bill Gates) where the man at the top reaps the rewards.
The library covers world news events, and is recognised by the outstanding quality of the photography.
I love these images of the Magnum Photographers in 1950 and then again in 2005, taken in Paris, France at their annual meeting. (both images are from their website and are (c) Magnum Photos, the second is taken by Peter Marlow.)

Jim Wylie - Scottish Painter

2007-03-29T09:29:00.000+12:00

This is a link to my stepdad Jim Wylie's paintings
He works and lives in Scotland, working full-time on his painting for the first time in many years. I'm really enjoying watching his work develop now that he has more time to focus on it, and love being able to access these images from as far away as New Zealand.
See what you think.

New Show at The Blue Oyster, Dunedin

2007-02-18T11:34:00.000+13:00

If you're in the area you should check out the new show at The Blue Oyster Art Project Space with three exhibitions by artists Belinda Harrow, Sarah Munro and Jenna Todd.

Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tamaki

2007-01-15T08:37:00.000+13:00

Scott Eady
Posie Pony
2001
Customised 1940s Massey-Harris Pony
Chartwell Collection, Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tamaki

Just a quick note to start off 2007 with a bit of a moan. I recently looked forward to having 4 hours to spend in Auckland, (for the first time, i might add), before a flight, and though I would take the opportunity to visit Auckland Art Gallery.
Currently showing there were 3 main exhibits. One called Summer Daze, about "the cosmos, the great outdoors and the joy of recreation." further info
One about Painting - what it is, what it isn't, what it's becoming... and a general mixed bag of contemporary stuff, including a significant amount of work by Colin McCahon.

Anyway, my whole experience was tainted by the atmosphere created by the staff (i should point out that this was one staff member) at the desk when I arrived. No enthusiasm, no descriptions, no map of the 2 buildings and active discouragement to go to the paid exhibition Summer Daze, which is apparently, "really just for kids."

I wonder what the artists think about their work being described in this way, as after all, i am sure their original intention in creating it, was for it to transcend more than one boundary? This is a curated show after all, one person's vision. It's also, not really the description that is given on the website, so I wonder if the gallery know that their staff are so apathetic in their customer service? Needless to say, I didn't go see it, but I will be asking Scott Eady what he thinks about this. Above is an image of a piece of his work that I didn't get to see.

And after that , I couldn't really be bothered, especially when the staff member signalled the end of our conversation by abruptly starting one with someone else passing the front desk.

So I won't be rushing back to the Auckland Art Gallery, with their lack of concern for the public they put their exhibitions on for. It is such a shame that customer service is not at the core of most businesses who operate in this way. Maybe businesses don't appreciate the great work that 'frontline' staff do for them, many of them unpaid volunteers, but maybe I was just unlucky and got someone on a grumpy day.

Next time I will let you know about the great experience I had at City Gallery, Wellington and the excellent Sam Taylor-Wood exhibition.

Blue Oyster Art Project Space

2006-12-15T11:33:00.000+13:00

I just wanted to highlight this exhibition space in Dunedin which is committed to emerging and established, innovative arts projects. The current exhibition is finishing this week and they will be closed over the break but their first exhibition in the new year will be the Grad Show, showcasing some of the work from the 2006 SITE Exhibition at the Art School - Otago Polytechnic, Dunedin. Opens, 23rd January 2007 - 5.30pm
Blue Oyster

use of Flickr for artists...

2006-12-06T09:56:00.000+13:00

This is just a quick post (or at least it starts out as quick) in response to the previous comment: 'I was under the impression that all the students used Flickr to exhibit their work online?...' from Leigh.

To be honest, I am not sure that they do - and this is for a couple of reasons...first of all, I find Flickr horrendously difficult to get into and navigate! I even have an account - but can i get my password e-mailed to me to get back in? - not a chance! - so personally i have given up on it (my own use was to keep in touch with family overseas, rather than exhibit work). This added with the fact that it would seem to me that unless i can get in, i can't find people, only random photos under their tags....(houses, clouds etc.) So if I wanted to find a student, and didn't know their personal tags (and let's face it, everybody has their own unique way of organising and naming their own files...that don't necessarily translate...), i can't anyway.

Secondly, (and I have also had this discussion with students) what does it mean then to our 'art' as photographers if we use this medium to get it out there? One of the biggest things a photographer/artist faces is the fact that anyone from a 3 year old can pick up a camera and snap that great shot at the right moment...what makes the artist different? One of the things that makes the artists different is the way they exhibit their work, and in what context they align it, and there is nothing on Flickr to allow an artist to distinguish themselves from general public photography (don't get me wrong - i think there are loads of people out there making great shots). The more that photography is used in this way, the harder it is for artists to get people to understand the difference to the shot that they put on the wall (in a physical exhibition space, for example), where although it might look the same on the surface, look further and it holds the key to extensive critical thinking, and a larger, well developed and investigated body of theory/work.

And so, while I think that the internet is a great communication and potential marketing tool, its use has to be appropriate to the context. I am not going to disagree with the power that it has had in launching/rising some current personalities to fame (K.T. Tunstall, Lily Allen etc.), and I do know a few students who have myspace sites...

(the photograph is for my mum)

Photography in Dunedin...

2006-11-30T15:10:00.000+13:00

IN my last post I highlighted some of the work from the talented graduands in the BFA programme at the School of Art, Dunedin. I wanted to add to that the critical work of some year 3 BFA students, who also exhibited work towards the end of this year .
Two such students are Bronwyn Williams and Shirin Khosraviani, both tackling different subject areas and photographic formats. (these students are being highlighted as I have access to images for their work, rather than any preference on my behalf of their work.)
Both students co-ordinated and exhibited their work in public spaces in Dunedin, which is no mean feat at this stage of their careers. They also hosted successful opening nights, ensuring that the art-going public of Dunedin had ample access to their work. This resulted in the type of public review and scrutiny that John Borley was trying to address in his project EXIT DUNEDIN, and something which I believe the School of Art does address throughout their BFA programme, allowing artists both exposure and experience of the world beyond the institutional walls.

SITE 2006 School of Art, Dunedin, NZ

2006-11-30T14:11:00.000+13:00

The School of Art - Otago Polytechnic, Dunedin, recently held its annual exhibition for BFA Graduands, SITE 06. Here is a small example of the excellent works produced in the photography department this year. Many positive comments were received by the artists on the day, which has encouraged their continued development as they leave the School of Art.

To have a look at some independent reviews of this work and the rest of the artists exhibiting (52 in total, utilising a wide range of media including sculpture, ceramics, jewellery and metalsmithing, textiles, printmaking, painting, digital + moving image and of course photography), please have a look here.

EXIT DUNEDIN is a project initiated by John Borley, and is in my opinion a great one to be involved in.
Part of the most interesting debate I hope, will arise in the following discussion here

I certainly have some questions which I hope will be answered, and some comments on some of the reviews. Some more on that later though...I think it only fair that I post my comments on their blog, before I unleash them in (relative) secret here....

The Future of Learning in a Networked World

2006-09-20T09:08:00.000+12:00

I had the opportunity to participate in this open space conference yesterday, organised by Otago Polytechnic. It is a travelling conference, and the first leg was in Dunedin. There were 3 days of activity planned in Dunedin, but I only attended yesterday, to hear from the invited speakers, and join in discussions. Find out more here
I had a great experience, finding out about new things, and meeting new people. There was a great range of projects from the invited guests, and all had something interesting to offer.
As a visual artist who is interested in digital theory and new media arts, a lot of technology resonates with possibilites to me.
Web 2.0 technology with mobile phone applications, as discussed by Teemu Leinonen from Finland, is something I can see myself working with, as have many other artists. I just came across this website this morning of New Zealand Photographer Peter Peryer
Jo Kay from Australia, also had a really interesting presentation about Second Life, an immersive 3d modelled world, where people exist in real-life communities through their avatars. I could see the potential for artists to have exhibition spaces in this world, or make work to sell to people in their 'houses'. Might be an interesting way to test work, but I can't see how it could compare to real art in the real world (and real reactions!).
Anyway, thanks to Leigh Blackall, who not only played a big part in getting all these people together to talk about the future of learning in a networked world, but who also taught me how to blog!

Sam Taylor-Wood in NZ

2006-09-08T11:01:00.001+12:00

British Artist, Sam Taylor-Wood is to have her works Crying Men (2002-04) shown at the City Gallery in Wellington, NZ.
Further info can be found here: The Big Idea_Web
(The Big Idea is an excellent online arts community)

I had the great fortune of seeing see one of Taylor-Wood's works, Strings in Edinburgh a couple of years ago.

If you can get to see this show in the flesh, I would highly recommend it.

Tracey Moffatt at Stills, Edinburgh, UK

2006-09-08T10:09:00.000+12:00

I discovered this short review of the exhibition at Stills (www.stills.org), Tracey Moffatt - Adventures. http://www.list.co.uk/festival/index.php?w=module:article,action:view,id:159 I find it interesting that the review focuses solely on the work, and mentions nothing of its situ in the gallery space. Is it a concern that that the same show can have a dramatically different feel in a different exhibition space? Or does the work sometimes speak for itself, where the space is extinguished by the luminosity of the art?

I haven't seen the work at Stills, but I know the space, and I recently saw some of the works at The Museum of Contemporary Art in Sydney, Australia, within a very different context. My own experience in viewing art works in general is that the interaction with the work, the feel of the piece, can be very different with the slightest shifts in perception, caused by surrounding, mood, light...

I personally would find it interesting to be able to feel the through the review the existence of these works within that space, that context, that exhibition.

Tracey Moffatt - Adventure Series 5, 2004

Scottish Art Circles

2006-08-23T20:20:00.000+12:00

I talked today at Otago Polytechnic about my previous work in Edinburgh working at Stills. I thought people might appreciate having a look at Stills' website:
http://www.stills.org
Stills is huge and unique organisation and very important in the scottish photography and digital arts scene.
I designed the website and currently update it.
I am interested in developing it further, when time permits...

Introduction

2006-08-08T20:07:00.000+12:00

I wanted to start this blog to share my view on Photography and New Media Art, as I see it, in contemporary artistic practice. Originally from Scotland, but recently arrived and currently living in New Zealand, I have viewed many and varied artworks, and worked with many artists. Having previously worked in a contemporary photography and new media organisation, and currently working as a Photography Lecturer at The School of Art - Otago Polytechnic, in Dunedin, New Zealand, my view and networks are informed and wide. I hope you find some of what I say interesting and rewarding.
Welcome!