I went out looking for a new wall, longer story - I won’t go into that, and found a fixation instead. I’ve explored a lot of Melbourne’s streets and laneways over my years of photography so it’s always a surprise and delight when I come across something new. In this case something old, made new, by Hilton if I recall correctly.
Fine Art
Duality
So many thoughts swirling around my head about the series I’m sharing here. I thought it was going to be a fixation to begin with but this is bigger. I’ve long pondered what draws me to the intersection of contradictions; new and old, natural and built, dark and light, straight and curved and so on and thought it was just a matter of visual interest. What I’ve come to realise through much reading, talking and searching is that it’s much deeper than that. It’s a desire to understand the contradictions, the dichotomies, the dualities within myself. There’s too much to say on this to say it all here, but I’ll leave you with this. For all the time I’ve been looking at places where the natural environment meets the built, I thought, as someone who loves and respects nature, that I was cheering for the nature, when actually my heart lies with the built, in this case the house. My metaphor was back to front.
*Side note. There are too many photos here, I know, but in my defence I spent time with this house on two seperate days and took close to 300 photos. It was hard to choose!
**Side note two, I could have done a fixations series on the lacy curtains alone.
Coming out from behind the camera, so to speak.
Anyone that knows me well will tell you I’m quite a private person and enjoy being on the side of the camera that I am. However, I recognise the importance of showing my face every now and then, so in the spirit of “showing my face” I shared some insights into my practice with Jan Henderson and the team at Indesignlive. You can have a quick look below or read the full profile here: https://www.indesignlive.com/people/elizabeth-schiavello. A big thanks to Jan Henderson for her kindness and generosity of spirit.
Image Makers Association Australia's '1 Shot 24 - Seeing & Knowing'
In partnership with Stylecraft, 1 SHOT 24 opened nationally last night in Melbourne, Sydney, Perth, Adelaide and Brisbane Stylecraft showrooms. The exhibition is displayed alongside collections of both local and international brands and products, exclusive to Stylecraft.
The overarching theme of Seeing & Knowing and its disparate meaning is reflected in the images of the 42 exhibitors from Australia’s pre-eminent photographers, who each present their personal interpretation of Seeing & Knowing.
Melbourne friends and followers should get along to 145 Flinders Ln, Melbourne and take in the beautiful collection. My image ‘6:30pm from Fixations 4’, expertly printed by Peter Hatzipavlis of Final Grade and framed by Angelo & Alex Grazzini of A&L Artistic Framers, is amongst the works showing.
Fixations 6
It’s time to share another of my fixations. Adelaide is still giving here and if you’ve been playing along for a while you can probably tell me what I love about this inner city, industrial scene… feel free to say so in the comments if you’re brave… if you’re new here click the #fixations tag above and you’ll get the idea!
Fixations 5
Fixations 5. Still in Adelaide (not now, at the time of taking). If you’ve been following this series of me obsessing over fairly ordinary things, you can probably tell me what I love about this little scene… but in case you haven’t, here it is… colour, obviously. Strong lines and shadows - also obvious. Perhaps less obvious is the contrasting texture of those bricks sitting alongside the smooth concrete and bitumen. And of course there’s that ever present sense of isolation. It was also the way it revealed itself to me as I made my way down the lane. Those colourful little buildings sitting amongst the surrounding concrete giants were like a little oasis in the hot Adelaide sun. That’s all.
Fixations 4
Did you know I have a carpark fetish? Maybe fascination is a better word. In any case, I do. I’ve been wandering in and out of carparks, old and new for many years but like so much of my personal work, it remains unseen. What is it about carparks? It’s all the themes that run throughout this series of fixations and more - strong lines, great colours, concrete, detritus a sense of the extraordinary in the ordinary and that feeling of isolation. The “more” in this instance, is the light - dark, moody, atmospheric and a touch cinematic.
This carpark, in Adelaide, has a very particular and strong memory and feeling attached to it. I was returning to my hotel late in the day when I came across it. It was unclear if it was public or private but unable to resist I went on in and started to shoot. So there I am, snapping away when I heard the roller door start to close! Of course I was too far in to make it back to the door and regardless, as a wise lecturer (2nd year for those in the know) once told me “photographers never run”. Instant panic set it at the thought of being stuck in that dark, moody and no longer atmospheric, just terrifying, carpark.
Fortunately, it turns out it was a pubic carpark and swipe access was not required to leave the exit door in the back, so once my heart rate had settled I continued to snap away! Here’s what I saw:
Fixations 3
So here we are again. Fixated. This time in Adelaide and quite some time ago. What is it I’m seeing?
Colour plays a part here. The palette of this little scene reminds me, somewhat cringingly and somewhat fondly of a check shirt I wore in the nineties - blue, beige and brown. And I can’t resist a bit of yellow, divisive as it is as a colour.
From colour to texture - organic and manmade - rocks and stone, contrasting with the industrial elements of iron, steel and aluminium.
What else? Lines. Always lines. Lines of different widths and heights and orientations - repeating, crossing, meeting. Curved lines to interrupt the straight. Order in the chaos.
There’s a hint of pareidolia (google it) - though I’m never seeking it or deliberately framing for it.
Finally it’s the little reminders of the natural environment to soften the industrial hardness - soft clouds, palm tree and even a little shadow.
There’s just something about industry that draws me in as it did one of my favourite Australian painters and significant influencer of my work, Geoffrey Smart.
