I saw this dress makers modelling figurine, outside the Red Cross charity shop, on St. Benedicts St. I asked if I could photograph it, so I stood it against the plain wall next door to record it. The setting is a collage of two different landscapes in Australia. The pipes belong to a hydro electric generating station in Tasmania. The landscape beyond is somewhere between Cooma and Tatura in NSW, probably in the Wadbilliga National Park. I created the shadow on the crash barrier.
Out Of The Blue
I was fascinated by the red dice that you can see, because they looked wonderful. So I took a set of photos of the one dice, at different aspects, on the end of a pencil, attached by Blutac, near the window. I have thrown the resultant dice as a collage, from the gantry of a pit head winding column in Kalgoorlie W.A. The clouds probably came from somewhere else in Australia. This took a long time to conceive, render and finalise, but I was happy with the result.
A Shadow Of Its Former Self
I saw this fantastic shadow of a tree, cast against the side of a building in Colegate. I had a photograph, taken a couple of years previously, of a tree silhouetted by the sun. I married the two images, and hit upon the idea of substituting the dark image of the tree, with a sunlit lawn. The surprising result threw up great connotations.
Different Times, Different Places
One photographer who I admire, and inspires me is, Henri Cartier-Bresson. I wouldn’t try to compare myself with him, but the group shot you see, attracted me immediately enough, to press the button, as a homage to his style. This is a photograph of family members, having a picnic in Kings Park, Perth. Of course, there are no windmills or chess pieces on a chequered board in the park, nor for that matter a crashed jet airliner! I won’t bother to explain where the other elements of the picture came from, or why I selected them. Suffice to say I think the resulting image, is so very surreal and restful. (My other inspirational photographer is Bill Brandt).
The Jump
I might be wrong,…but I think this at Port Augusta SA. There is an old wooden Quay with the rails tracks for the dock operations. I think this at the Wharflands Esplanade, and the old disused jetty on the river, as viewed from the Joy Baluch AM Bridge. Tell me if I’m wrong! There were gang of kids using the jetty as a diving board, well, for jumping off. The kid you see in mid-air was in another photograph of the same scene. The ‘sky’ is some paving, here in Norwich, on New Botolph St.
Saying Goodbye
This is Perth Railway station, and Alison, my sister-in-law, came to see me off on my trip to Melbourne. I bought a ticket on the Indian Pacific Railway, a trip the would take four days (three nights in sleeper cabin) across the Nullarbor mostly. The big hole is a deep open cast mine in Cobar NSW. Why?… because I thought it looked very surreal, and totally non-sequitur! I have blocked off the right hand side the covered platform shelter, and added the clouds for dramatic effect. The windows were reflecting a jumble of views, so I filled them with an innocuous reflection. The clincher for me was the tiny statue, that I saw in a cemetery, here in Norwich, who is affecting a grieving pose.
Untitled No.22
I was drawn to the empty branches against a grey sky, on an autumn walk. It was easy to cut away the sky, to leave a transparent background. I have collaged three branches, one at the top, and two at the bottom, and then meshed them together. I then overlayed a gradated blue sky, replacing the dark silhouette. All that was left to do, was slowly fill the gaps with “greenery’, making sure to keep each shade separate and varied.
The Bigger Sound
Set in the cloisters of Norwich Cathedral, but instead of a lawn; they look suspiciously like Australian clouds. I came across two young Salvation Army guys in front of the City Hall, who were going to, or coming from an event. I asked if i could photograph the Tuba one of them had, in the bright sunshine,..The young woman also a Salvation Army cadet was part of a Remembrance Day parade and was stood to attention. I developed the theme as I went along, to create the title!
GM Flowers
After a few glasses of wine, even the table decoration seems attractive! I was having a pub lunch in Darbys (Swanton Morley) with my sister Janie, and my brother in law John. If one duplicates the flower vase and the simple arrangement, and puts them in a field:; this is what you get! The view is from the Glastonbury Tor, looking down on the Somerset levels. I ramped up the colours, to match the vase.
Drilling Holes In Engines
Here are three photographs of tractor engines. These are the rusty old things that are parked on Cromer beach, for launching and retrieving the fishing boats. So if you can understand that the images are layered, one ontop of the other, I have literally drilled holes through, to reveal the underlying engine. I had a great time doing this, it was like picking the spots off, when you had measles, or pealing dead skin from sunburn!