Dead Calm…

OK well maybe not so much. I know I’m not posting anything these days and partially this is because I’m a bit over it, too busy and I think the blog was really aimed at tracking my own progress with my studies, which now thankfully is finished, approved and done. Also, I want to spend less time blogging and writing about photography and actually make them instead! And like most people I have to earn a living so making work is (out of necessity) squeezed in between everything else that is going on. Anyway, I do have a future online project being planned so keep an eye out and I shall make a final post here later in the year to notify everyone, before finally putting this blog to sleep.

In the meantime there are a few things worth blogging about. Firstly, my friend Andy Adams over at Flak Photo is running a promotion month for Hijacked 2 which is currently touring Australia as an exhibition. You can also buy the book which I can highly recommend – it will be money well spent, rest assured. You can check it out at Andy’s website or on Facebook here. Or better go see the exhibition or attend a launch party. Dates and venues are:

Australian National University – School of Art Gallery, Canberra
8 September – 2 October 2010

Monash Gallery of Art – Melbourne
29 October 2010 – 16 January 2011

Queensland College of Art Gallery Griffith University – Brisbane
19 February – 24 April 2011

Anne & Gordon Samstag Museum University of South Australia – Adelaide
13 May – 1 July 2011

John Curtin Gallery, Curtin University – Perth
21 July – 11 September 2011 .

Also, I’m heading down to Melbourne tomorrow to attend the opening of the Bowness Photography Prize at the MGA, in which I am a finalist with the following image. So attention Melbournites, make it out to the Gallery for a beer and some great photography!

Another little gem discovered recently is the work of Ketaki Sheth, an Indian photographer who is currently showing work at the Photo Ink gallery in New Delhi, India. Her series “Twinspotting” is terrific and definitely worth a look. If you can spare the very low price of $20, you can buy the book at The Book Depository here.

Lastly, please help support a very worthwhile project over at Kickstarter by Marc McAndrews. I posted about Marc’s new series Nevada Rose a little while back and he is now working on publishing the book  for release next year. But as we all know, the world of self-publishing is still expensive (especially if you want to do it well) and Marc is looking for backers to help him with the scanning costs. Every dollar will help and he only has till October to raise the funds. So get your altruistic hat on and support a fellow photographer. It’ll come back to you eventually and if you commit to $125, you’ll actually get a signed copy of a first edition book, definitely a good investment and a quick turnaround on a good deed.

Stay tuned for more good things happening…….

Light Journeys presents Kylie Ruszczynski

Light Journeys is proud to present Paris based, Australian artist Kylie Ruszczynski as our featured artist for October:

from the series Solar Tetes

(courtesy of Kylie Ruszczynski)

Brothers and Sisters: the Unbearable Lightness of Siblinghood

Siblings are strange things. Most of us have them or are one to someone. The uncanny – and perhaps slightly freaky – thing about siblings is the codified behaviours, the funny habits and the more obvious physical likenesses (all of which by my observation aren’t necessarily confined to those who are biologically related.)

There are a bzillion studies out there that investigate the idea of ‘sibling culture‘, both within the contexts of kinship and society. Some are interesting, others use boring, made-up words that are simply too taxing for the brains of someone who isn’t Einstein. So whilst the science of siblings is being advanced by those who seek to know, I’m finding that photographing them in the context of art and perhaps even anthropology, is far more interesting and in many instances, very telling.

What do you think?

Katya and Mikayla

Meg and Lizzie

Liam and Rory

Kim and Louise

Charlie and Pia

The depiction of siblings in art has a long and ancient history. One only has to take a stroll through any Art institution to find examples of the complex yet rich relationships between brothers and sisters. Whilst not quite as fond a theme as the depiction of Mother/Madonna and Child, it’s getting seriously close.

To my eyes at least, it makes for interesting observations of sibling behaviour. Now, if only I can get my kids to stop chasing, punching and yelling at each other, perhaps they might stand still long enough for a photo….. in the same shot do you think?? Mmmm…. nevermind, it’s a trick question.

NB. Check out this TIME photo essay about “famous siblings and their sometimes fractious, sometimes harmonious relationships.” Interesting…. ah, la famiglia!