FotoFreo e-Newsletter

Issue 4: 8 February 2008

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Dear Subscriber

In this issue of our e-newsletter we outline the focus of our FotoFreo 2008 Conference and the FotoFreo 2008 Seminar: Picture Editing and Photojournalism – Future Challenges. The venues for both of these events are relatively small and if you are interested in attending I would urge you to make a reservation - which you can do by simply emailing FotoFreo at info@fotofreo.com. More details of these events are shown on the website.

We have started to post the details of the FotoFreo Perth and the FotoFreo Fringe on the website but please note this is an ongoing process and will probably take at least a week to complete. Also, there will undoubtedly be changes from time to time so it is important to check the website regularly.

I would like to thank the many people who have already joined the FotoFreo 2008 team and we will be organising an ‘induction evening’ in the next few weeks. However, we are still looking for volunteers so don’t be shy about ‘putting your hand up’. To volunteer, please go to our volunteer's page

Editor

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FotoFreo 2008 Conference

This event is proudly sponsored by Edith Cowan University

The conference will open with a key note address by Dr Anne Marsh reviewing the present state of Australian photography, particularly documentary and art based photography.
Other topics to be considered include our understanding of the meaning of beauty and the implications of the notion of beauty in some areas of photography, in particular, landscape and fashion photography (beauty as a device, etc.)
Another topic to be examined will be the intersection of art forms, in this case, photography, the graphic arts and the written word.
The conference will take place in the afternoon over two days and with 4 speakers presenting on each day.

Confirmed speakers include

DAY 1
Chairperson, Dr Daniel Palmer
Dr Anne Marsh
Dr Helen Ennis
Marian Drew
Michael Desmond

DAY 2
Chairperson, Dr Jonathan Marshall
Dr Daniel Palmer
Oliver Chanarin & Adam Broomberg
and more to be confirmed.

Venue: The theatrette at the WAMM on Victoria Quay
Dates: Saturday the 5th of April and Sunday the 6th of April
Time: 1pm – 5pm with a half hour afternoon tea & coffee break.
Cost: $99 for two half days; $55 for each half day

To make a reservation for this important event please email info@fotofreo.com
We will advise when we can process bookings.

Read more about the FotoFreo 2008 Conference

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FotoFreo 2008 Seminar

Picture Editing and Photojournalism – Future Challenges.

This event is proudly sponsored by EPSON Exceed Your Vision

Topics to be covered will include:

Particular challenges of being a picture editor and the role of ‘pictures’ in modern day magazines and newspapers.
The new technologies being introduced to image capture for newspapers and magazines.
Iconic and other remarkable images
What are the differences in the way photojournalists do their work today compared to the way they worked in the latter part of the last century?
Will there be a role for the photojournalist in the future and if so what will be the nature of that role?
What makes a great piece of photojournalism, or an iconic image and is it ‘ART’?

The seminar will take place in the afternoon over two days and with 6 speakers presenting on each day.

Confirmed speakers include

Maria Wood (Singapore) picture Editor TIME Asia
Jessica Hromas (Syd) picture editor Australian Financial Review
Wen Huang (China) Xinhua News Agency
Michael Bower (Syd) Managing Editor Photographic, Herald Publications
Robert Pledge (USA) Director of Contact Press Images
Stephen Dupont (Syd) free lance photographer
Jodi Bieber (S Africa) free lance photographer
Philip Blenkinsop (Thailand) free lance photographer
David Dare Parker (Perth) free lance photographer

Venue: UNDA Medical School theatrette
Dates: Saturday the 12th of April and Sunday the 13th of April
Time: 1pm – 5pm with a 20 minute afternoon tea & coffee break.
Cost: $110 for two half days; $66 for each half day

To make a reservation for this important event please email info@fotofreo.com
We will advise when we can process bookings.

Read more about the FotoFreo 2008 Seminar

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Dow Wasiksiri

My Thai
Kulcha (upstairs above the Dome coffee shop) from April 5 – May 4
The official opening will be on Tuesday 8th of April at 6pm

Thai photographer, Dow Wasiksiri, says that he photographs the Thai way of life “with a quizzical eye”. In this series of photographs he explores the Thai way of life away from the visitor’s gaze to reveal the unselfconscious behavior of Thais, in all its playful contradiction.
Dow says of this work, “I show the people and scenes I encounter just as they represent themselves in public, without judgment. You can see the impromptu, shared way that Thais tackle everything, from eating, exercise and worship, to markets, hair-dos and having their photograph taken. Being a Buddhist, I was raised to treat situations with detachment; not easy, but it breeds a useful discipline. I shoot something unexpected, then let it go.
“Celebrating popular culture is a hot-button issue in Thailand, where officialdom seeks to determine what ‘Thainess’ and Thai culture should be. My portfolio expresses through photography a zeitgeist emergent across many genres – music, media, art, writing, film, dance, design – that reappraises ‘Thainess’ and savours it, unabashed. This is how we are.”
“Taken as a whole, the (photographs) represent scenes in the transformation of a people. You become a witness to the onslaught of globalization as it collides with ancient ways. The themes you see in the popular culture of this rising Asian Tiger resonate with the hybrid development of Thailand’s neighbours. However hard that collision, the Thais meet it with the one exotic cliché that holds true: smiles.”

Read more about the FotoFreo core exhibitions

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Hijacked (The exhibition and the book)

Queen Street Gallery, Fremantle April 5 - April 13
Official opening April 5, 7 - 9pm

In the words of the editor, Marc McPherson, “Hijacked brings together, for the first time, an uncompromising movement of international cultural exchange. Presenting the most diverse and provocative new photography from Australia and America, the book erases traditional boundaries between artists, professionals and emerging talent in order to point towards the future of contemporary photography.

“Shunning repetitive and predictable structures, Hijacked’s aesthetic is directed by the mindset and energy of young and emerging practitioners. Embracing the prevailing wanderlust, their work exhibits a fascination with international subcultures, fragmented trends, alternate life styles and urban landscapes. Explorations of suburban pleasures are placed on par with ‘high’ artistic experimentation.

While assembling the visions of its contributors, Hijacked delves into the practical and conceptual issues of the world of contemporary photography. Interviews provide a social comment on the socio-scape of Australia and America, and highlights talking points from discussions with artists on communication, social awareness, capitalism and the impact of commerce on identity and artistic practice.

“Relentless in its ambition, much like the photographers, writers and contemporaries it publishes, Hijacked, the photography book, is a survey and hybrid of real time photography and life in real time.”

The book launch and party will be at Creatures Loft, Fremantle Fishing Boat Harbour that commencing at 9pm after the opening at the Queen Street Gallery.

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Polixeni Papapetrou

Games of Consequence 2008
Johnston Gallery April 4 - 27
Opening night Wed April 9, 6 - 8pm

In her new series, Games of Consequence 2008, Polixeni Papapetrou has returned to the landscape.

Papapetrou considers the landscape as a medium in which she can explore ideas about the contemporary social landscape of childhood.  The artist uses the landscape as a visual metaphor — viewed symbolically as a space without constraints and a place where children can test and define their individuality. The depth and complexity of the natural world, ranging from an Arcadian ideal to the darker haunts that children once frequented, provide a way of reflecting on the idyllic and shadowy aspects of growing up.

In images of children at play and in contemplation set in the landscape, Papapetrou portrays the landscape as a metaphorical shelter, an arcane place where children can make discoveries about themselves and where their imagination and rules can flourish. The land represents a space without constraints and a place where children attempt to define their individuality through their surroundings.

Born in Melbourne, in 1960, Papapetrou still lives and works there. She has held over 20 solo exhibitions and is represented in many private and institutional collections including the National Gallery of Australia, National Gallery of Victoria, National Library of Australia, Museum of Contemporary Art in Sydney, BHP Corporation, Museum of Fine Arts, St Petersberg, Florida, USA and Artbank. Recently works by Papapetrou were included in ‘Tell Me a Story: Narrative Photography Now’, Museum of Photographic Arts, San Diego, USA; ‘Aperture 55th anniversary exhibition’, Aperture gallery, Aperture Foundation, New York, USA; ‘Selected works’, Roger Williams Contemporary, Auckland, New Zealand; ‘Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf?’, Te Tuhi Gallery, Manukau City, New Zealand and at the Le Mois de la Photo, Montreal Biennale.

Read more about the FotoFreo 2008 core exhibitions

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FotoFreo Perth & Exhibitions at the Kurb Gallery

The Kurb Gallery is a dedicated exhibition and performance space which has showcased the works of cutting-edge and emerging visual and performance arts talent in Western Australia for several years. The Kurb hosts a number of artists-in-residence in its studio spaces, while its exhibition spaces comprise of two galleries on the ground floor, and one on the first floor. Located in the multicultural heart of Perth, the Kurb Gallery is very much an institution in the vibrant, diverse and multi-faceted Northbridge arts and culture scene. Visit the Kurb, then head down William Street for a spot of roast duck, Vietnamese beef noodles, saganaki or risotto.
During FotoFreo 2008, the Kurb Gallery will feature the work of five West Australian photographers. The exhibitions are eclectic, ranging from the reportage of sand, surf and lifesavers, to the tender tragedies of the urban disenfranchised, to an intimate exploration of family and identity; from the exotic climes of Indochina to the erotic geographies of the human body. There will certainly be something for every taste at The Kurb during FotoFreo 2008.

The Kurb Gallery is at 310 William Street in Northbridge and the gallery hours are Sun-Thurs: 1-7 pm, Fri, Sat: 1-8 pm

Read more about FotoFreo Perth 2008

Seng Mah – Sons of Beaches
30 March – 13 April
“Sons of Beaches” is a photography exhibition which re-imagines the icon of the Australian surf-lifesaver, moving beyond its stereotypes and traditional associations with masculinity, mateship and machismo. The photographs reveal the stories of individual surf lifesavers, moving beyond stereotypes to present the human story behind the icon: one that is poignant, dramatic, humorous and even quirky.  Photographer, Seng Mah, has been documenting the exploits of surf lifesavers since 2005 and his images re-purpose the icon for consumption by a 21st century multi-cultural, multi-faceted audience, and engage currently evolving attitudes about men, masculinity and about being Australian. For further information: www.thesnapshooter.com

Marite Norris – The Yorkway Scene
5 April – 19 April
Marite Norris illustrates her experiences of squatting in a crazy London Council Block, Yorkway Court. The dilapidated flats, in Kings Cross have since been demolished.  Her images display marginalized subcultures of people who see the world differently.  It is a study of primarily women, doing what they do in the world. It was inspired by the underground fetish scene of London in the 1990’s; animated and erotic, with a touch of humour.

Charles Kasprzak – Family Stories
5 April – 4 May
Family Stories is a personal narrative by Charles Kasprzak exploring his history and identity. The images show Kasprzak asking questions,, delving into the stories of his family and his immigrant heritage tp create a cathartic experience for the photographer. Family Stories has universal appeal because everyone has a story to tell…

View the image Untitled 1 by Charles Kasprzak

Julian Tennant and Mark England – Chasing Apsaras
20 April – 4 May
Apsaras, the divine celestial nymphs and courtesans of Hindu mythology are found from India to the ancient Champa Kingdom of Southern Vietnam. Chasing Apsaras is an Indochinese journey that contrasts the 21st century with age-old ritual.
From the frenetic desperation of the Soi Cowboy to the tranquility of ancient Angkor temple ruins, photographers Mark England and Julian Tennant blend digital capture with vintage Cyanotype, Kallitype and traditional B&W printing techniques. The resulting images are a fitting parallel to this world in a state of flux, where tradition is forced to adapt and change of be subsumed by it.

Veronica Mauri and Julian Tennant – Salacity
20 April – 4 May
Fine art photographers Nikki Mauri and Julian Tennant present images that are subtle and titillating, yet confound and arouse, presenting as many questions as answers about voyeurism, desire and power.
Salacity is a journey to explore the naked human condition, our perceptions of self and sexuality in a world of constant surveillance and instant gratification.

View the image Patent by Veronica Mauri and Julian Tennant

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End Note

In our next e-newsletter we will be providing details of the workshop programme and the series of informal lectures and presentations to by held in the afternoon of each weekday during the 1st week of the festival. The venue for these informal lectures and presentations will be Kulcha, above the Dome coffee shop and right in the middle of Fremantle.

To stay in touch, subscribe to the FotoFreo e-mail newsletter and we will keep you up to date with everything that is going on.

 

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