An interesting
exhibition of photography at the National Library. Two quotations from the catalogue below, the first purely factual, the second perhaps controversial:
"We live in a world of our own making, a world populated with all sorts of objects.
Things: Photographing the Constructed World embraces this sense of multitude and profusion. Featuring over 240 photographs, the exhibition is concerned not only with our complex relationships with things but also with the crucial role of photography in picturing the objects we have created. The National Library of Australia's Pictures Collection holds nearly 700,000 photographic works, each catalogued according to well-established subject classifications.....The categories and visual groupings in
Things encompass the domestic and cultural spheres (furniture and household objects, personal items, architectural elements, indigenous artefacts,memorials and so on), the worlds of industry, science and agriculture (all of which feature different kinds of machinery and equipment) and the commercial arena."]
"...
Things aims to go even further by mountain a curatorial 'argument' based on the idea of democracy. Equal attention is paid to all photographic works, be they large or small, modest or grand, technically indifferent or highly accomplished, taken by unknown and amateur photographers or eminent practitioners"
I suspect Lula may not be an environment altogether friendly to curatorial arguments based on the idea of democracy. I await comments with interest. However that may be, it is a rich and interesting exhibition. If anyone is in Canberra (at the exhibition or otherwise) and in need of a coffee and a chat, PM me.
