Photographs of Auckland taken with disposable cameras will feature prominently in Waiheke Art Gallery's Landscape and Memory exhibition in the first week of the 2004 Auckland Festival of Photography

Also this week is:
Nothing is Separate - www.photoforum-nz.org
The Great Escape - Aotea Centre, City
Winter Exhibition - FHE, City

Image:Wayne Wilson, study of Three Kings at night
Photographs of Auckland taken with disposable cameras will feature prominently in Waiheke Art Gallery's Landscape and Memory exhibition in the first week of the 2004 Auckland Festival of Photography

Also this week is:
Nothing is Separate - www.photoforum-nz.org
The Great Escape - Aotea Centre, City
Winter Exhibition - FHE, City

Image:Wayne Wilson, study of Three Kings at night

Landscape and Memory is one of ten exhibitions and events in Auckland's Creative Exposure festival (June 6-27), a celebration of photography as an art form and recreational activity that is sponsored by Auckland City.

As one of Creative Exposure's contributing venues, the Waiheke Community Art Gallery will present three inter-related but distinct photographic exhibitions.

The Landscape and Memory title exhibition features images of southern landscapes taken by Gilbert van Reenen. Gilbert van Reenen who works with archival pigment prints using a textured surface. van Reenen consciously sets about constructing his landscape works by ruthlessly subtracting elements that may be distracting to the viewer.

The Three Kings, 2003 exhibition is Wayne Wilson's 38-image essay of Auckland suburbia's night time beauty. When Wilson moved to Balmoral three years ago, he became intrigued by the sleeping volcanoes populating his new neighbourhood.

"The suburb of Three Kings, which I knew little about, began to work its magic. It depicts a quieter Auckland, where tall fences don't exist, great grassy lawns reign, bach-like architecture is prolific and an older sense of place is tucked away."

Wilson embarked upon a night photography series of the area using available (moon)light. "Digital photography has opened intriguing avenues for photographers, promoting new ways of seeing in a way that were previously technically unachievable. I believe these images have produced a new way of seeing, which the viewer will see evident in the relative lack of movement of the stars, light from unimaginable distances away, in context to the rest of the images exposure and content.

"Three Kings is a contemporary expression of New Zealand's on going interest in the peculiarities of it's own burgeoning urban landscape, exemplified by the gentle but penetrating vision of Robin Morrisson."

The third exhibition in Landscape and Memory interprets the theme using images taken on FUJI disposal cameras. This is the Waiheke Community Art Gallery's latest manifestation of its Get The Picture project, which it has co-ordinated over the last five years.

Gallery manager Jackie 0'Brien says the Get the Picture Project involves providing selected people with disposable cameras to take photographs on a given theme. This year's focus means participants will focus on capturing moments, places or people that show why Auckland is a desirable city.

O'Brien says the Get the Picture concept reflects the gallery's philosophy of embracing the wider community in a creative process in a meaningful and non-threatening way and encouraging participation in gallery events.

"The Creative Exposure photography festival provides a great opportunity to use a camera that requires very little technical considerations which means that once the 40 participating individuals get their disposable cameras, they are free to interpret the theme without becoming burdened by concerns for achieving aesthetic excellence.

"The brief is by nature a creative process but one that encourages a more spontaneous and honest representation of people and place."

By this O'Brien means that once the 40 participating individuals get their disposable cameras, they are free to interpret the theme without becoming burdened by the greater aesthetic expectations that often accompany photography as an art form.

"The disposable cameras are very easy to use and great results are almost always guaranteed by following the instructions on the case." Once participants complete their film, the gallery has the film developed, chooses one image to enlarge, mount and display. The resulting images are sold during the exhibition by silent auction with proceeds raising funds for the gallery. The project is sponsored by the Waiheke Community Art Gallery, Fuji Hanimex and Julia Drawbridge of Waiheke's Gulf Photography.

For information on Landscape and Memory
phone Jackie O'Brien 09 372-9907

First Week:

Landscape & Memory (Waiheke Art Gallery, June 4-24) Landscape and images of Auckland.
NZ Idle (Urban Arthaus, June 6-27) Artists' take on cosmopolitan society and photography.
PhotoForum (www.photoforum-nz.org) An online exhibition of aspects of city life.
The Great Escape (Aotea Gallery, June 7-28) John McDermott's ethereal AK03 images.
Winter Exhibition (FHE, June-July) Includes works by iconic photographer Marti Friedlander.