Sydney Life 2007 (2-21 Oct 2007)

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Every year, around 500,000 people come to see Sydney Life in Hyde Park North. Set in the context of one of the City’s most popular outdoor public spaces, the evocative artworks provide a unique Sydney experience.

The judges were spoilt for choice. From 620 images submitted, 26 have been chosen.

The result is a truly democratic exhibition, featuring works by emerging and established artists from across the spectrum of the art form, including documentary, press and art photography.

We sought to include optimistic and fun images, such as Jenny Evans’s Elvis Goes to the Races, and joyous ones like Christine Gleisner’s Martin and Maggie. Dean Sewell’s Tamara, Jack and Ruby is a contemplative portrait of family life, while Elaine Campaner’s The Harbour View, made out of kitsch objects, seems like a comment on the aspects of our city’s character that are superficial but charming.

It would not have been appropriate to exclude images which are poignant, such as Andrew Quilty’s Days Passed and Joan Cameron-Smith’s Housed by Thought No. 8, respectively of an old man watching the Anzac Day Parade and a young boy lost in thought. Nor did we want to exclude those which raise thorny social or environmental issues, such as Garry Trinh’s Welcome Home, about migrant communities feeling under siege, and Simon McGrath’s Urban Landscape, which alludes to our deepening concern over water shortages.

I would like to thank the City of Sydney and AMP Capital Investors for supporting the project. Thank you, too, to my fellow judges. Finally, I thank the photographers for their distinctive perspectives which so eloquently capture the possibilities of life in this terrific city.

The Sydney Life Prize, valued at $10,000, is comprised of $5,000 cash from the City of Sydney plus a $5,000 investment in an AMP Capital Sustainable Share Fund. It is awarded for the work judged most outstanding in the exhibition by the judges: Sandy Edwards (Curator, Sydney Life and Curator, Stills Gallery), Christine Morrow (Curator, Museum of Contemporary Art) and Bec Dean (Curator, Australian Centre for Photography).

New this year is the People’s Choice Award, sponsored by FUJIFILM Australia. Vote at the Art & About Free Catalogue and Information Booth in Hyde Park North and be in the draw to win a digital camera. The winning photographer will receive FUJIFILM Australia product worth $3,000.

Sandy Edwards, Curator Sydney Life

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The Photographers and their Photos

Fiona Morris - Girls from Guangdong Province, Chinese New Year
Christine Gleisner - Martin and Maggie, 2007
Jenny Evans - Elvis Goes to the Races
Paul Blackmore - Lambo Wings
Dean Sewell - Tamara, Jack and Ruby
David Matheson and Eszter Marosszeky - Lounge-room, Lilyfield, 2007
Ingvar Kenne - Kellyville
Joan Cameron-Smith - Housed by Thought No. 8
Joanne Saad - Ipar (Voted People's Favourite)
Elaine Campaner - The Harbour View (Breakfast in Sydney)
Simon McGrath - Urban Landscape
Andrew Quilty - Days Passed
Neil Bailey - Sydney Museum
Ivan Buljan - Ms Paula Horvat Dreaming
Steven Siewert - 38° at 2pm
Martin Mischkulnig - Eila
Ali Nasseri - Aged Care is no Place for a Young Person
R. Ian Lloyd - Artist Guo Jian studies himself for a painting
Wendy McDougall - Park in a Park (in a park!)
Adrian Cook - Easter, Marrickville, NSW
Steve Christo - Mini Triathlon
Tanya Lake - Jelly Wrestling
Tom Williams - Evening, Kings Cross, 2006
Matt Kaarma - Basketball
Gary Trinh - Welcome Home
Quentin Jones - Fly Boys


Catalogue (pdf)

Favourite Photos - Newtown 2007 - King Street - 'Communication'

Communication - King Street, Newtown, Sydney - Wed 14 Mar 2007 (picasa)
Second photo from a collection of favourite photos.

I had been to the Dendy Cinema to see a movie a few days earlier and was struck by the light and this scene when I left around 6pm. The late afternoon light in Sydney is beautiful this time of the year - interestingly enough it is almost 3 years ago to the day this photo was taken. Unfortunately I did not have my camera with me at this time, so I made a mental note to come back at some stage in the near future - which would turn out to be just a few days later.

On the day this photo was captured, I had taken a half day off work, in the afternoon, so that I could attend one of Jenny's medical appointments at St George Hospital. I was in my car on the way to meet Jenny and Joanne for the appointment when Jenny called to say that the appointment had been cancelled due to unforseen circumstances and that we should meet at Dragon Boat training that night back in the City.

I had a few hours to spare, so I thought I would go back to Newtown and have a coffee at Urban Bites (a favourite haunt for me, but the opposite end of King Street to the Dendy) for a coffee. When I was there I remembered the photo I wanted to take and I realised I had my camera. Decided to take the 10 min walk back to the Dendy to take this photo which had similar lighting to what I had seen a few days earlier.

I guess what I like about this particular photo is the composition. I only took a couple of photos and really did not look at it closely until I downloaded it to my computer. There I could see all the detail - things I really had not noticed when I took it.

I saw all the signs - things telling us what to do (the "No Stopping" and "No Entry" signs [1], "One Way" and parking signs), and the signs that identify things. For instance the Map of Africa and all the countries identified, the graffiti tag and the nice frame around the Map, the number plates that identify the motor bikes and scooters, etc.

A couple of other things I liked were the:

1. Pole Poster where you see the word "Pixels" - the smallest element of each digital photo - you can see it between the "No Entry" Sign and the white pillar (might have to look at the large version to notice).
   
   
2. Person in the centre of the photo - particularly his position and the shadow area of the background he fills as well his position between the foreground shadows. I also love the tattoos on his arms and legs, and the fact that he is communicating with someone using his Mobile Phone. His T-Shirt and bag have some text and logos on them. Also like how the shadow of the Bike Rack just catches his foot - I did get lucky [2] in many ways, as there is no way I could have planned all of this.
   

As you can see, many things can found in a simple photo that is captured in a fraction of a section. It is also interesting how circumstances sometime conspire to allow a photo to be taken.

I entered this photo in the 2007 Sydney Life Competition (unfortunately can't find an archive of the official page though I found a media release here). I always try each year to make an entry to the competition as it is open to all photographers, though it is virtually impossible for non-established photographers to make the final 22-26 images. Will keep trying though :-)

There is another story about this location which will come in another favourite photo at a later date.

[1] I would always say to Jenny a good photo always has a little bit of red in it and this is a theme you will see in many of my photos.

[2] Also would often tell Jenny, there was a lot of luck in taking photos (though like all things involving luck, you often make you own luck) and that if you take enough photos you are bound to end up with a few your like (i.e. keepers).