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Laura Hart was the recipient of the Arts & Entertainment Award, presented by SGLMG Association, with my cover for the Sydney Star Observer.
More than 300 people came together at the Ivy Ballroom in Sydney on 17 August to celebrate LGBTQ community members whose work has made a difference to the lives of sexually and gender diverse people in NSW.
The Sydney Star Observer printed my portrait of Laura Hart, winner of the Arts & Entertainment Award, on the cover of the September issue of the magazine. Laura was acknowledged for her contribution to nurturing and developing “drag king” culture in NSW. After the ACON award presentations, I photographed Laura and several other winners in a make-shift studio I set up in the foyer area of the Ivy.
Jason Om recipient of the Media Award, presented by OUT@NBCUniversal Me… testing the lighting at the Ivy before the shoot. It is really cool that I can now trigger the camera from my phone.
I was going through a long-forgotten trove of family photographs which had been hidden away in the attic of my aunty’s house in Melbourne. She was doing a spring clean and she decided to transfer ownership of the box to me.
Amongst the hundreds of faded images of my childhood was one image that I had totally forgotten. It was a photo that I had taken when I was 7 years old. My aunty Jo (famous in the family for diarising, noting and archiving all things) had marked this image as “Gates Paddock Matthews, 1967, taken by John”, written on the back of the photo. So this would have to be the very first photograph that I ever made.
The image shows a dead kangaroo lying at the gated entrance to a paddock (presumably “Matthews” is the name of the owners of the farm). I must have been fascinated by the majesty of the animal that was lying dead and motionless on the grass.
I vaguely remember the experience … but only very vaguely. I don’t think I was impressed by the gore or shock value – it was much more about contemplating the idea of death. It also reminds me that, even at this early stage in my life, I had discovered how the camera lens and photography can provide you with another way of looking at something, a different point of view … and that there are so many different points of view.
So there you go … you never know what little personal treasures you may find in abandoned boxes laying around in attics … always worth a closer look.
I recently travelled to Melbourne for a break (and some welcome sunshine, much to my surprise) and to catch up with friends and family.
I stayed for a couple of nights at my friend Ned’s place in Yarraville (a great suburb, so convenient to the CBD). He has recently renovated a large garage area (previously vacant and under-used) on the ground floor of his duplex. I took some shots of the job that has been immaculately realised by Ali of Feature Point Constructions, creating a Mid-Century Modern atmosphere. Well done to all involved. Of course, the star of the shoot was Ned’s rescue greyhound Bürschi, who is rather sculptural by nature and very much part of the colour palette..
I was commissioned to document changes in the “under-construction” landscape at the new airport at Badgery’s Creek on the outskirts of Sydney. I have been photographing aspects of the construction to date, as well as taking working shots of various Multiplex employees. The scale of the project is huge and the sky is full of cranes as the work progresses rapidly.
Maree pictured in front of one of the art works of the “Fireworks” series at Gosford Regional Art Gallery
My good friend Maree Azzopardi has a wonderful solo exhibition showing at the Gosford Regional Art Gallery. Maree and I have known each other for many years, both professionally and privately. We have shown our work together many times in group exhibitions across the globe including in New York, Malta and Rome, as well as in galleries here in Australia.
Maree has always impressed me as a really “gutsy” painter and I have long admired her work. If you happen to travel to the Central Coast over the next six weeks (the Fireworks exhibition 29 Oct – 13 Dec, 2022) make sure you visit the Gosford Regional Art Gallery to visit her show.
The following are my photographs of some of Maree’s works from the exhibition, with a text written by the Rome-based curator (and mutual friend), Jonathan Turner.
FIREWORKS
“If fire (…) was taken to be a constituent element of the Universe, is it not because it is an element of human thought, the prime element of reverie?”
Gaston Bachelard, The Psychoanalysis of Fire, 1938.
According to the mid-20th Century French philosopher Gaston Bachelard, the phenomenon of fire is situated at the crossroads of science and poetry. His studies included an approach to the components represented by fire, the libido and flaming passion, while his philosophical response to man’s basic instinct to control fire was his brilliant analysis of the myth of Prometheus, who was punished by the capricious Greek gods for his theft of fire and its subsequent gift to humanity in the form of knowledge and civilisation.
Maree Azzopardi takes Bachelard’s Psychoanalysis of Fire, and reverts back to the aspects of the impulsive, transgressive nature of fire, its ability to cause unintended consequences, the destructive powers of wild-fires and the subsequent joys of rejuvenation. At the Gosford Regional Gallery, her new Fireworks exhibition of paintings, drawings, concertina books, ceramic sculptures and mixed media photographic works assess the complexities of damage and grief associated with fire, but also the healing powers of nature and positive energy. In her work, Azzopardi reaffirms a desire for transformation. She studies the coexistence of life and death, reminiscent of the Greek myth of the phoenix, the immortal bird which regenerates cyclically, or is reborn in a different way. Associated with the sun, the phoenix receives new life by being resurrected from the ashes of its predecessor.
Fire has no form, weight or density, and Azzopardi’s watercolours and canvases reflect this. Like Mother Nature herself, bush-fires are untameable. Soothe Your Sorrows was initially created in response to the Black Summer Fires. The text comes from a late 19th Century diary kept by Tottie Thorburn, an unmarried woman who lived with her sisters in Meroogal House on the south coast of NSW. Tottie was devoted to the Scriptures, and Azzopardi’s work is inspired by her independent, isolated life. In a painting representing fire and the pandemic, Azzopardi uses 12 panels as a sacred number symbolizing the Apocalypse. But all is not lost. Azzopardi depicts both the scorched earth and the regeneration of native wattle.
“So after the fires, I created images using what I found, such as burnt branches used as charcoal and also the burnt bones of animals that I used as drawing tools,” explains the artist. “It became a sort of ritual of helping the scorched earth to heal, to release the spirits of the deceased animals, as well as addressing my own grief at what I had witnessed.”
In her recent work, Azzopardi incorporates a variety of materials including gouache, Sumi and Indian ink, oil stick, sand, flecks of gold-leaf, burnt feathers and rattan matting she has salvaged from discarded cane chairs washed-up on the beach at the high tide mark. Her Wings of Desire series are photographs of dead seabirds printed on linen, with shimmering stitches embroidered in gold thread. One work featuring matted feathers and the gilded skull of a bird is dedicated to the Greek myth of Icarus, the man whose wings melted when he flew too close to the sun, and who fell to the sea and drowned. Meanwhile the shape of the bird skull itself is reminiscent of the beaked masks worn by medieval doctors in Italy to symbolically protect them against the plague, and now worn as traditional costumes during Carnival in Venice. Thus Azzopardi’s Fireworks reference the apocalyptic harbingers of pestilence, famine and war as the most pressing global concerns today, as well as the destruction wrought by floods and the Australian bushfires. Her theme is death heading towards rebirth, strife redeemed through spirituality.
In a nod to the hyper-vigilance of Google Earth (sometimes Azzopardi’s landscapes are even viewed from above), her paintings offer a deconstruction of the contemporary gaze. Her landscapes explore the notions of what is instantly recognizable and what is magnified to the point of abstraction, what is naturalistic and what has been crushed, scratched and blurred. Formal questions centre on empty and filled space, on shadow and light. This is all part of Azzopardi’s questioning on the “exhaustion of images” and the deeper concepts of memory and oblivion.
On October 15 2022, Australian diver Matthew Mitcham will be officially inducted as a 2022 Honoree into the International Swimming Hall of Fame at a ceremony in Fort Lauderdale in Florida.
Brisbane-born Matthew Mitcham is credited with having received the highest single-dive score in Olympic history. At the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, Mitcham chose to execute a two-and-one-half somersault with two-and-one-half twists in the pike position for his last dive. The dive had a high degree of difficulty with 3.8. Mitcham scored four 10’s, giving him not only the highest score on a single dive ever, but the gold medal for the 10-metre platform event as well. By winning the 10-metre platform dive in Beijing in 2008, Matthew Mitcham became the first Australian to win an Olympic gold medal in diving since Dick Eve won gold in the high-diving event at the 1924 Summer Olympics in Paris.
Although the platform was Mitcham’s favoured event, he was also highly-skilled on the springboard. At the 2009 World Championships in Rome, Mitcham won the bronze medal on the 1-metre springboard, and the next year he was ranked #1 in the world. At the Delhi Commonwealth Games (2010) he won silver on the 1-metre, synchro 3-metre, 10 metre and synchro 10-metre, and at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, he took gold in the synchro 10-metre platform and silver medals in the 1-metre and synchro 3-metre.
“In China, 8 is a lucky number, and I know China was hoping to win all 8 diving gold medals in Beijing 2008,” said Mitcham today, from Florida. “Having won the first 7 of them, I remember hearing that the Chinese team were already celebrating winning the 8th medal before we had even dived the final. It still feels like an extra incredible feat that I was the only person to beat the best divers in the world at their home Games and prevent China from getting that lucky 8th gold. There have been other gold medalists since then, and my Olympic record was finally beaten 13 years later at Tokyo 2021, but the thing I’m most proud of is that I was the first ever openly gay Olympic Champion, and that’s forever.”
In 2012, Mitcham published his autobiography “Twists and Turns”. It was turned into an award-winning cabaret show starring Mitcham himself, which travelled around Australia to rave reviews in 2014-2015.
Now in 2022, with nine other sporting icons, Matthew Mitcham will be inducted as an Honoree into the International Swimming Hall of Fame at a ceremony in Fort Lauderdale in Florida, on October 15, 2022.
MMXXII – Matthew Mitcham’s official 2022 portrait by John McRae
Australian artist John McRae releases his new photographic portrait of Matthew Mitcham, the 15th image in a striking series of annual portraits produced since 2008.
MMXXII– Matthew Mitcham, 2022, Pigment Inkjet on Cotton Rag, 112cm x 78cm, John McRae
John McRae:
“Every year since Matthew Mitcham was 18 years old, even before his momentous achievement of winning the 2008 Olympic Gold Medal for the 10-metre diving event with the highest scoring dive in the history of the Olympics, we meet up in my Sydney studio to create an “official” annual portrait. It is also a symbol of our ongoing friendship. Each consecutive work is added to the growing line-up of portraits which plot the subtle changes over time, both physical and in terms of attitude.
Each portrait in our series is akin, not identical, but similar in terms of lighting, cropping and symmetrical pose, devoid of costumes or props. This year, the 15th version mirrors the formula we have established. Except I wanted to create a point of difference to underline the fact that in 2022, Matt has the great distinction of being officially inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame at Fort Lauderdale, at a presentation ceremony on October 15. Symbolically I chose to introduce green and gold lighting into the colour palette as a reference to Matt’s record-breaking feat, synonymous with the national sporting colours he wore during his time representing Australia on the world stage.
I had thought that our 2021 portrait might have been the last in our series due to the fact that Matthew has moved to the UK where he is now living with his husband. I had considered that the tyranny of distance may have become insurmountable. Much to my joy and delight, Matthew and Luke decided to take a short break in Sydney in 2022 on their way to the ceremony in the USA, so our sequence of annual portrait photographs continues.
The portraits are a fascinating record of Matt’s journey since he was a teenager. Not only do they create an expanding document which exists through time, but it also provides me with a kind of test tube to conduct my own particular experiment with portraiture. As a photographer, I am convinced that the essence of the human being in front of the camera goes far beyond what is merely physical. Of course, for many this may be a natural observation of the human condition … but this series with Matthew Mitcham places it firmly in focus, in front of the lens.”
Matthew Mitcham:
“Originally, I thought it would be neat just to see how I age over the years, but the series captures a lot more than just changing hairstyles and facial features. I’ve gone from a teenager to an Olympic Champion; from a drug addict to a happy, healthy man; from an elite athlete to a cabaret performer; from a Sydney boy to a married man living on the other side of the world.
Each portrait is a reflection of what was happening in my life at the time. This year, my portrait coincides with my being inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame, a fabulous honour. As time goes on, this portrait series becomes more significant for me.”
La Cage Aux Folles will be playing in Sydney at the Concourse at the end of November. Tickets available at Ticketek here:
Directed By Cameron Menzies
Musical Direction by Craig Renshaw
Choreography by Veronica Beattie George
Production Design by James Browne
Lighting Design by Karen Norris
Wigs and Make-up Design by Drew-Elizabeth Johnstone
Sound Design by Anthony Lorenz
The iconic Paul Capsis will be joining an all-star cast including Michael Cormick to delight Sydney audiences. We captured some images of Paul at the studio recently in preparation for the production. Here are some behind the scenes shots of Paul getting ready for publicity imagery. As always it is a joy to work with Paul. His ability to make you laugh is unsurpassed.
Paul in makeup with Vincent Wang (MUA), watched on by La Cage Aux Folles producer David Hawkins
Directed by Luke Joslin Musical Director Su Hee Cho Choreographer Matthew Jensen Design Angela Meany Production Assistant/SM Alexis Worthing Producer Michelle Guthrie
Starring Penny McNamee with Andrew Cutcliffe, Wayne Scott Kermond, Octavia Barron Martin, Ava Madon, Drew Livingston, Vincent Huynh, Dean Vince, Emily Cascarino, Joel Houwen, James MacAlpine, Chloe Malek, Siena Elchaar
The Hayes Theatre, Potts Point, is well known for its staging of musicals and theatre productions. One such production is the musical, Bells Are Ringing. This piece is part of a Hayes Theatre’s initiative whereby long standing musicals are selected as part of a “forgotten musicals” genre.
What is also interesting in these productions is that the cast comes together and is given the scripts one day before the musical opens to the public. This means that the cast is challenged with the formidable task of presenting something which is almost not rehearsed…..to the point that they cast members read from scripts on stage as part of the presentations. This creates a captivating set of conditions as the audience is simultaneously invested in the outcome.
As Penny MacNammee states in a recent interview, “The unique and thrilling experience that comes with performing a Neglected Musical, is three-fold for me. Firstly, the challenge of learning and staging a show in just a day, the thrill of performing that show in front of a live audience who are invested in the process, and finally the joy of rediscovering and presenting a forgotten, but cherished musical!”
I was asked to shoot for the production on their first public performance of the show. It was a great experience to capture the moment. The following is a selection of shots…..
If you missed this production at the Hayes make sure you catch one of their works in the future. Keep up to date by visiting their web site here: The Hayes Theatre, Sydney.
Charles Cooper is a well known, accomplished, incredibly talented artist who has an impressive CV and career. For many years he has been part of the permanent stable of artists showing at the prestigious Annandale Galleries, Trafalgar Street, Annandale. Charles also works as drawing lecturer at the National Art School
On Saturday 10 September, 2022 at the Annandale Galleries Charles launched a monograph of his work over the last 40 years. Dr Michael Hill, Head of Art History and Theory at the National Art School, spoke at the launch together with Joe Frost who contributed the accompanying text in the book. John McDonald (Art Critic) wrote, “”It’s illuminating to read Joe Frost’s description of Cooper’s career and trace the evolution of his work. While the artist’s themes and ideas have remained consistent, the formal innovations have never ceased.”
I captured a few images from the launch (selection pictured below). The book is available from Charle’s website: www.charlescooperartist.com
Trevor Ashley is at it again! This Christmas will see Trevor flying high in a raucous parody called “Moulin Scrooge” being performed at the Seymour Centre in December, 2022.
I had the pleasure of working with Trevor again on the photography for the poster work. We hadn’t seen each other for some time so it was great to have him in full make-up and drag, bursting into the studio for the shoot.
We set up a mock trapeze in the centre of the studio as the main prop to recreate the illusion of “Nicole Kidman”. As you can imagine the whole shoot was hilarious. Trevor has a natural capacity to keep you giggling even when you should be concentrating on more serious concerns.
Costume: House of Priscilla, Wig Styling: @wiggedoutau
Minnie Cooper is one of Sydney’s most eminent drag queens. Her career spans decades and she hails from the flamboyant, golden years of drag in Sydney in Oxford Street. Most recently she has done a sterling job starring in the latest series of Ru Paul’s Drag Race Down Under (currently showing on Stan). Minnie made it through to the fourth episode, before she was ceremonially ejected from the line-up by Ru Paul herself. She departed with enviable glamour and style.
Minnie asked me to organise a shoot to document some of the original looks which “she rocked” during the four episodes of Drag Race Down Under. Here are some images from that shoot. Think Lucille Ball, operatic diva, Madame Butterfly, Penelope Pitstop. It is always great to work with Minnie, who is a real pro, an authentic Sydney icon and a generous mentor to upcoming talent. I know that Minnie has further show-stopping looks which deserve to be properly documented, and so I look forward to our next photography session together.
Costume: Dallas Della Force, Wig Styling: @wiggedoutau, Jewellery: House of PriscillaCostume: Kirsten Damned, Wig Styling: @wiggedoutau, Boots: House of PriscillaCostume: Kirsten Damned, Wig Styling: @wiggedoutau
From top to bottom (Mitzi Mackintosh, Pam Ann, Alex Perry, Charlotte Dawkins, Julie McCrossin and Ruby Rose (SX cover for March, 2009)
As a “flashback” moment I went through a few images of shoots I have done for various covers of SX, the Sydney weekly magazine. SX no longer exists, having halted operations in 2017 but I do remember having a great time with the broad selection of people with whom I had the privilege to make portraits in my studio and on location.
Behind the scenes with the Foxtel broadcast line-up of talent for the 2009 Mardi Gras parade
The very first cover I did for SX was in February of 2008. Brad Johnston was the editor at the time and he asked me to shoot a series of images of Verushka Darling, the well-known drag identity in the LGBTQI community. Brad said about her; ” When is a drag queen not just a drag queen? When she’s also a model, corporate MC, TV presenter, producer and scriptwriter”.
Verushka was performing that year at Mardi Gras (30th anniversary) and SX had devoted an article to her take on fashion.
Verushka Darling (My 1st cover, February, 2008)
Another early cover was of the well known DJ Kitty Glitter, who used to hold court as resident DJ at the rooftop club at Home in Darling Harbour. This cover was shot in my Lilyfield studio for the September 2009 issue.
There were so many covers and so many wonderful experiences. Now and then I am going to post flashbacks from some of my old shoots. Below are out-takes from studio visits by Verushka Darling and Amelia Airhead. Sometimes it’s great to be able to re-visit the past.
The Girls in Property program is organised by The Property Council of Australia. It raises awareness amongst high school students about the extent of possible career paths the property industry, encouraging greater female participation in the property industry.
One of the initiatives included Hansen Yuncken organising an on-site visit and mentoring sessions for a number of high school students from various colleges in the Sydney area. They visited the construction project, nearing completion, at Meadowbank TAFE.
With international students again on the march towards higher education in Australia, student accommodation has become an essential part of the process of welcoming this incoming community.
Iglu Student Accommodation is a developer of purpose-built facilities intended for student-living. The company develops and manages residential properties for rental purposes close to university campuses, colleges, public transport, shopping, eating and entertainment facilities along with support services across Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney. Iglu is a consortium owned by GIC (Government Investment Corporation of Singapore) and Macquarie Capital.
Recently Hansen Yuncken (construction) has been involved in the re-development of a site in Summer Hill in Sydney, for the latest addition to the Iglu line-up across Australia.
Here are some images of the funky environment that has been created for our new wave of tertiary students.
You may well ask….what is a “sod-turning”. I did. Well it is when a construction company starts work on a new project and the occasion is marked by a mound of dirt being turned ceremoniously with a shiny new shovel. This marks the beginning of the construction work on the site.
Aunty Gail
It is common to also include a smoking ceremony as a mark of respect to the traditional owners of the land with an Acknowledgement of Country. The smoking ceremony, according to the traditional owners, is a way of cleansing the area by smouldering native plants to create smoke which wards off any “bad” spirits and at the same time purifying the area both physically and spiritually. This is performed by an elder of the indigenous community. Today it was Aunty Gail. She was joined by Brandon and Jetsyn who were also part of the Gandangara Local Aboriginal Land Council.
Hansen Yuncken (construction), One Five One (developer) and Chemcorp (client) celebrated the start of their new warehouse project at Prestons in NSW in mid-July. Their brand new warehouse will be completed by February 2023 and Chemcorp will have a state-of-the-art facility. The project involves construction of two new warehouses, with over 22,000m², designed to achieve a 5 Star Green Star rating.
Brooke Blurton and Matty Mills have joined forces to create a new podcast with Nova Entertainment called, Not So PG.
Each week Brooke and Matty will deliver an unfiltered version of their world and their experiences being part of the First Nations and LGBTIQ+ communities, while navigating mainstream media.
Entrepreneur, influencer and reality TV icon Brooke Blurton and TV presenter and actor Matty Mills grew up without standard parental guidance. Not So PG is a podcast and guide for anyone who has pulled themselves up and taken control of their life.
It was rewarding to meet both Brooke and Matty and to work with the NOVA team once again, plus the wonderful Ariela Dundovic (hair and makeup). To create promotional images for their podcast, we shot in my studio at Lilyfield, capturing a diverse series of images.
WorldPride is a global Pride celebration that in 2023 is coming to Sydney. Previous WorldPride celebrations include the first in Rome in 2000, New York in 2019 marking 50 years of the Stonewall uprising, and Copenhagen in 2021 celebrating both WorldPride and the EuroGames.
As part of the early ticket marketing of the event, the organisers arranged a photoshoot at my Lilyfield studio. My brief was to capture a diverse selection of individuals who could communicate the joy and vibe of this unique celebration. In doing so the models including Sveta, Faustina, Jules, Maria, Paul & Johnny and Sina, help to motivate both Sydney-siders and the international public to attend one or several of the line-up of events.
From left to right: Milo, Faustina, Matty, Jules, Maria & Sam
It was a vivacious day with great energy. The studio was humming with creativity … from stylist Hannah Cooper with her racks of clothes and accessories, to the vast array of colours splayed out on the table by make up artistYvonne Trans. The team fromMC Saatchi watched the results unfold on the computer screen while coffee and sandwiches arrived at appropriate moments. It was inspiring to be part of a team completely focused on creating the best possible results.
Sydney WorldPride events will take place from February 17 until March 5, 2023. The official Opening Ceremony will take place on February 24. Other events include a First Nations Gathering Space, a game-changing Human Rights Conference, an unforgettable Pride March across the Sydney Harbour Bridge, a closing ceremony and a sensational party on Sydney’s iconic Bondi Beach (plus many more events still to be announced)!
Le Coq is a traditional French restaurant just down the road from my studio in Darling Street, Rozelle. It serves uncomplicated, traditional French food, which is absolutely delicious, specializing in anything to do with chicken.
David Poirrier, the owner, approached me to create some images for a campaign that the restaurant is running during the month of July called: YOUR KITCHEN RULES. Le Coq has decided to open up their kitchen to non-professional chefs (especially significant for those souls who had FOMO on MKR). The idea is that you can “take over” part of the restaurant, kitchen and staff to cook and host a culinary event for your family and friends.
There’s a special menu that you can choose from and you’ll be guided through the preparation of the various dishes. For more information visit: https://www.lecoqrotisserie.com.au/events
One of my favourite photo commissions this week was shooting the very talented Paul Capsis for the cover image for SX magazine.
As well as being a ground-breaking actor/singer and all-round performer, Paul is cheeky and fun to be around. Over the years, I have photographed him in numerous disguises. The new portraits of Paul show him in the role of the unhinged, slightly diabolical Master of Ceremonies, from the stage production of Cabaret. They were staged at my Lilyfield studio, which overlooks Callan Park. (It’s only a coincidence that I work in a studio which overlooks an abandoned insane asylum).
“Wilkommen, bienvenue, welcome,” sings the MC. “Leave your troubles outside! Life is disappointing? Forget it!”
With Mariel McClorey on make-up and Drew-Elizabeth Johnstone on hair, excellent results were assured. Here are some shots of the preparation in my studio and three finished portraits which demonstrate Paul’s dramatic flair.
The team at Hansen Yuncken is about to start work on a new project at Trinity Grammar in Summer Hill, Sydney. To mark the occasion it is customary to stage a ceremony where the first “sod” is turned on the site of the construction.
Happily on this occasion the grown-ups had some welcome help from a few younger “construction workers” in long-fitting hi-vis and spacious hard-hats. Perhaps the new cadets of the future.
For more information on the extent of the renewal project, click on this link:
