Here’s a body of work I made in the 1990s as a student.
I utilised the in-house Video editing suite at University with a camera and a tripod. I had already taken some prerecorded free to air TV. I then chose still images that piqued my interest. They are loosely organised here to form a narrative.
What frightens me is that some images could have easily been taken from last nights news.
The irony of using modern screens to share some thoughts on the then contemporary medium of free to air TV isn’t wasted on me.
Untitled I “from the series, TV you get what you pay for”
Untitled II “from the series, TV you get what you pay for”
Untitled III “from the series, TV you get what you pay for”
Untitled IV “from the series, TV you get what you pay for”
Untitled V “from the series, TV you get what you pay for”
Untitled VI “from the series, TV you get what you pay for”
Untitled VII “from the series, TV you get what you pay for”
Untitled VIII
Untitled IX “from the series, TV you get what you pay for”
Untitled X “from the series, TV you get what you pay for”
Untitled XI “from the series, TV you get what you pay for”
Untitled XII “from the series, TV you get what you pay for”
Untitled XIII “from the series, TV you get what you pay for”
Untitled XVI “from the series, TV you get what you pay for”
Untitled XVII “from the series, TV you get what you pay for”
Untitled XVIII “from the series, TV you get what you pay for”
Untitled XIX “from the series, TV you get what you pay for”
Untitled XX “from the series, TV you get what you pay for”
XXI “from the series, TV you get what you pay for”
XXII “from the series, TV you get what you pay for”
XXIII “from the series, TV you get what you pay for”
XXIV “from the series, TV you get what you pay for”
XXV “from the series, TV you get what you pay for”
XXVI “from the series, TV you get what you pay for”
XXVII “from the series, TV you get what you pay for”
XXVIII “from the series, TV you get what you pay for”
XXIX “from the series, TV you get what you pay for”
XXX “from the series, TV you get what you pay for”
XXXI “from the series, TV you get what you pay for”
XXXII “from the series, TV you get what you pay for”
XXXIII “from the series, TV you get what you pay for”
Some time after 2005, I photographed this caravan park that was being remodelled into something more modern.
As I work my way though my colour negative archive I’m rediscovering work. Long forgotten and seen now with fresh eyes, having seemingly more impact.
I may have even photographed around the park before its remodelling.
It’s rare that I get so many “keepers” from one or two rolls of film, of course not having looked at the images for more than a decade might have something to do with it.
A giant waste bin dominates the park
Flowers cling on desperately while all around is chaos
Neat piles
Untidy piles
Space…
An evacuation point
More plant life hanging on for grim life
The almost complete new admin building
The original admin building with the silos in the background
Desolate
Tape and pies, demarcating something
A pile soon to be burned of removed
Here’s a digital image made near the caravan park before demolition had begun. Taken in 2005. Look closely at the background and you’ll see several vans still in place and part of the fence.
A drosscape in Sunshine, former caravan park seen in the background.
Television and I have a long complicated relationship.
We were only able to afford black and white televisons as I grew up. By the time I had moved out I still couldn’t justify the cost of a new colour TV so bought second hand ones for many years. By the time I was in a ‘commited relationship’ we aquired a discarded colour TV. Eventually at some point after, we bought a small colour TV.
In the interim however, for many years I was either too busy or studying to really engage in any serious TV watching. Often it was the late night rock and roll video show called Rage on the ABC that garnered the most attention from me.
At some point while studying my undergraduate degree, I decide to record some programming then take into the Video editing suites to take stills from it. Late one night I stumbled upon a film starring Tom Waits, called Big Time as well. It was a TV adaption of a live performance based on the album of the same name. Those pictures have been in my archive relativley unseen. Now that I have a scanner I can share them with the world.
Here’s a screengrab of them loosely organised in Neofinder. At some point I will sequence them and either publish them as a Zine or just make a gallery online.
screengrab of the TV stills I made in the late 1990s using film a tripod and a video editing suite
Now of course screens dominate my life. I often sit watching the things that interest me on free to air TV, while using at least 1 or 2 devices to do other things while the ads are on.
The show entitled ‘Sheet’ is a collection of work by photographers who use sheet film to make images.
XYZPhotogallery is open Winter time (standard) Wednesday, Thursday, Friday & Sunday 1:00-5:00pm (last entry) and is at 312/757 Bourke St Docklands 3008 Vic [Entry on Batmans Hill Drive
