LIGHT JOURNEYS

The Olive Cotton Award is now a biennial prize held by the Tweed River Art Gallery in Lismore. Olive Cotton (1911-2003) discovered the art of photography in childhood and stayed committed to it all her life. Her mother was a talented painter who died young; her father, a geologist, had learnt the elements of photography for his journey to the Antarctic in 1907 and later taught it to his children.

Having graduated with an Arts degree, Olive Cotton worked successfully as a photographer at the Dupain studios in Sydney until the end of World War 2, then moved with her new husband Ross McInerney, to the bush near Koorawatha, NSW. For 20 years she had no access to darkroom facilities, but kept taking photographs.

In 1964 Cotton opened a small studio in Cowra and took local portraits, weddings and commissions. After a 40 year absence from the city art scene she re-emerged in 1985 with her first solo show at the Australian Centre for Photography in Sydney, she then concentrated on rediscovering and printing her life’s work.

Several artists previously featured on Light Journeys have been listed as finalists this year. They are: Tamara Dean, Samantha Everton, Lee Grant, Angela Tarlinton and Vikky Wilkes. The exhibition will run from June 3rd to July 31st with the winner announced on 4th June at the exhibition opening.

The Sleeper by Olive Cotton (courtesy Olive Cotton Estate and Josef Lebovic Gallery)

Light Journeys artists Narelle Autio, Tamara Dean, Lee Grant, Georgia Metaxas and Polixeni Papapetrou have been listed as finalists for the 2011 Josephine Ulrick and Win Schubert Photography Award held annually at the Gold Coast Art Gallery. The exhibition runs until the 22nd May.

Alisha and Saul (courtesy Lee Grant)

Tamara Dean, previously featured on Light Journeys is exhibiting her new work “Only Human” at James Makin Gallery in Melbourne from May 5-29th, 2011.

Anthea Polson Art is privileged to host the national launch of Marionettes, Samantha Everton’s latest series of photographic art. Marionettes extends her visual exploration of interior states of being, but here the focus has shifted from that of the child’s, to ‘grown-up’ issues of isolation and loss of control under the pressures of daily life.

Marionettes will be launched at Anthea Polson Art Qld – March 26th – April 9th and at Dickerson Gallery, Sydney from April 20th – May 17th.

Light Journeys artists Vikky Wilkes, Marzena Wasikowska and co-curator Lee Grant are all finalists in the National Photographic Portrait Prize currently on show at the National Portrait Gallery in Canberra. The exhibition runs through till the 26th April.

Clare and Bella by Lee Grant

Enrico Taglietti by Vikky Wilkes

Jess, Danny and Mia by Marzena Wasikowska

Light Journeys artist Polixeni Papapetrou is holding a retrospective of her work at the Australian Centre for Photography in Sydney. Tales of Elsewhere runs through to the 12th March.

Curated by Fiona Rogers, Firecracker‘s first feature begins with UK based documentary photographer Tessa Bunney.

Tamara will be exhibiting new work in her second solo show at the Charles Hewitt Gallery in Sydney. The exhibition opens on the 22nd July and runs through until the 9th August 2010:

“Jedda” from the series This Too Shall Pass (courtesy Tamara Dean)

A BIG congratulations to Claire Martin, whose series Slab City was recently featured on Light Journeys. Claire has won the Inge Morath and Magnum Foundation grant for female photographers under the age of 30.

The annual Inge Morath Award is given to a woman photographer under thirty years of age, to assist in the completion of a long term documentary project. The winner and finalists are selected by the photographer members of Magnum Photos, and a representative of the Morath Foundation, at the Magnum annual meeting. It is the only award that carries the imprimatur of Magnum Photos, bringing great prestige to those selected as winners and finalists.

We look forward to seeing new work by Claire in the future.