The 1999 reader contains 33 essays selected by Blair French, who was then program manager for the Australian Centre for Photography.
The texts had been previously published in the Centre of Photography’s journal — Photofile — that had been published since 1983. I wrote the preface to this publication. There’s a table of contents below my online essay along with links to information about photofile and the ACP. Click here for my essay.
cover image: Tracey Moffatt, Up In The Sky #3 1997 (detail)
Have uploaded a page about my collection of photographer’s greeting cards that has been placed with the AGNSW Library — click here
Updated November 2021
Have uploaded more to Parting with Your Art — click here.
This new page is an update on my most recent experiences on parting with my own archive as well as some thoughts that may be useful to others dealing with these downsizing matters
For the full list of pages so far: Click here
Have uploaded to our photo-web site a special section on the first photography curators — Australian that is. We have listed four: Jennie Boddington, Ian North, Gael Newton (me!), and Alan Davies. The listings for Jennie and myself include 1983 interviews by the Australian Centre of Photography. These are very long! (you have been warned)
If you know of any other useful online material on these people, please make contact.
In searching out my archive of essays, I came upon a draft of one about a technology tool that served me well… The Typewriter. Now updated — Click here.
This essay was originally published in the 2008 catalogue for the Vancouver Art Gallery exhibition — click here.
For people interested in Australian CDVs, it is highly recommended that you get hold of the book that accompanied the 2018–1019 exhibition. Click here for a sample of the book
I was approached by Penny Grist of the National Portrait Gallery in Canberra to advise on the 2017 exhibition — Starstruck. I then had the great experience of working with the co-curators Penny from the Portrait Gallery and Jenny Coombes of National Film and Sound Archive. This was a fun collaborative research experience — with my essay published in their book for the exhibition. Click here for the essay now online.
The wonders of looking through your own archive. I realised I had not uploaded an essay from 2006 on Michael Riley. Have now — so here’s the link — click here.
Updated June 2021 Have uploaded more to Parting with Your Art — click here.
This page is about managing expectations, large collections, institutional collection policies, points for collectors approaching art museums and archives, recommended first steps — and more..
For the full list of pages so far: Click here
Contributed an essay for Melita Dahl’s June 2021 exhibition at PhotoAcccess in Canberra. The exhibition is open until 10 July 2021.
As I said in a previous post — I have been uploading my writings to my essay pages.
There is now an updated portal page for John Kauffmann — click here; that includes a link to my 1996 essay for the exhibition John Kauffmann Art Photographer
I have been uploading more of my writings to my essay pages.
Today I have uploaded a 1980 essay on John Kauffmann. Click here for this essay
Updated April 2021
topics: Downsizing Collections; More on Capital Gains Tax; Finding new homes for my library. Have uploaded these new pages to Parting with Your Art — click here.
Collection of photographs by William Henry Fox Talbot sells for nearly $2M.
PHOTORIA, a new website that sheds light on the role of women in the history of Australian photography between 1850 and 1950. There is, overall, a broad disparity in the breadth of knowledge in favour of men in contrast to that of the women who populated the industry. This website is a resource to redress that disparity. Click on image for the website.
Updated 12 August 2020
Have uploaded new pages on Parting with Your Art — click here.
Will be writing up some experiences and thoughts about parting with your art. This will be based on my own experiences as well as many stories heard in recent years.
Paris Musées, the public institution that manages all of the museums in Paris, has launched a new Collections portal with the public access to more than 100,000 high-resolution digital reproductions of classic artwork and photography.
Click here for the article on DP Review — or here for the portal
above image: 61 rue Saint-Louis-en-l’Ile, enseigne “Au petit Bacchus”. Paris (IVème arrondissement). Photographie d’Eugène Atget (1857–1927). Paris, musée Carnavalet.
I have uploaded a small essay I wrote in 2014 about Walter Woodbury in Indonesia. This essay was linked to the exhibition at the National Gallery of Australia — Garden of the East: photography in Indonesia 1850s-1940s. Click here for my essay online.
There’s also another small essay online that relates to a photograph — the one above — titled Serimpies, or dancing girls of the Sultano c.1858 . Click here for that essay.
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For the list of my essays (being updated) click here
Highway 61 revisited — photographs of this historic route. Click here
Great looking exhibition — get me to Canada
An exhibition organized by the Yokohama Museum of Art in collaboration with the Canadian Photography Institute of the National Gallery of Canada.
I have several essays online relating to George Silk the photojournalist. Born in Levin, New Zealand in 1916, Silk served as a photojournalist for Life Magazine for 30 years.
He is well known as a war photographer, that part of his career began in 1939 serving for the Australian government in the Middle East, North Africa and Greece.
There are many other aspects of his achievements covered in my essays. Most of my research related to the exhibition at the National Gallery of Australia in 2000.
Here are the links to my essays:
Going to Extremes: George Silk, Photojournalist from the NGA exhibition catalogue
Going to extremes: George Silk photographer essay in Art & Australia
George Silk,Fawn and rainbow trout, tributary of the Madison River, Montana
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For the list of my essays (being updated) click here
I have several essays online about Tracey Moffatt and her photography. There’s also a link to an online version of the 1995 publication Fever Pitch with essays by Tracey and myself.
Tracey Moffatt: Invocations (2001)
Published in the exhibition catalogue — Australian National University Gallery 2001
Tracey Moffatt: The memory theatre of Tracey Moffatt
An exhibition held at the State Hermitage Museum, St Petersburg, 2 February — 9 April 2000
Tracey Moffatt: See the woman with the red dress on … and on … and on
Essay in Art and Asia Pacific 1994
Published online the now out of print publication (1995) with key essay by Gael Newton on Tracey Moffatt’s work along with two essays by Tracey Moffatt.
Fever Pitch was originally published in 1995 by Piper Press, Annadale (Sydney).
For more of Gael Newton’s papers — click here.
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For the list of my essays (being updated) click here
My 1994 review of Indecent Exposures: Twenty Years of Australian Feminist Photography by Catriona Moore, Allen & Unwin in association with the Power Institute of Fine Art, Sydney — click here
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For the list of my essays (being updated) click here
Writing in the Rain, FX Harsono - Still from colour video 2011 Collection National Gallery of Australia
Following my leaving the National Gallery in September 2014, I was asked by the editor of the Journal of the Asian Arts Society Australia to write about my last decade at the gallery — the decade that saw the establishment of a survey collection of Asia-Pacific photography spanning from South Asia to the west coast of the Americas.
The new collection was largely based around major collections acquired from several major private collections of Asia-Pacific photography including one of some 5000 colonial-era Indonesian photographs.
Here’s that story — click here
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For the list of my other essays (being updated) click here
Michael Riley’s Cloud (2000)
This essay was originally published in the catalogue Photographica Australis
for the 2002 exhibition by the Australian Centre of Photography
Curated by Alasdair Foster. Click here
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For the list of my essays (being updated) click here
I have uploaded an online version of the catalogue for the 1982 retrospective exhibition at the Art Gallery of NSW — Axel Poignant, photographs 1922–1980. Click here.
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For the list of my essays (being updated) click here
Now online — my essay published in the 2006 book on Peter Dombrovskis:
Simply by Liz Dombrovskis. Click here for the link
There was also an exhibition in 2018 at the National Library of Australia, reviewed by Sasha Grishin — click here
Exhibition at GAGProjects (Adelaide) till 18 November 2018.
Click here for my essay and links to the exhibition page.
Wonderful day in the National Library of Australia. A chance to see some photographs by Charles Bayliss.
I have many people to thank for their support over a career that I continue to enjoy.
Opening on 12 October 2018
Bill Henson at the Tolarno Galleries 104 Exhibition Street Melbourne
till 2 June 2018.
Posted by Gael Newton on Wednesday, 4 April 2018
An exhibition notice for an exhibition at the Whitney Museum of American Art.
Click here for the link…
And for more on Harold Edgerton — see my 1999 paper for the catalogue at the National Gallery of Australia — click here.
NUS Museum (Singapore) Rediscovering Forgotten Thai Masters of Photography: till 21 July 2018. Research by Manit…
Posted by The Art Museum on Friday, 23 March 2018
Click on the image for more on this exhibition
Celebrating IWD — 8th March 2018
Adelie Hurley (1919–2010) - The first Australian female commercial photojournalist
Frank Hurley: From Circular Quay to Collaroy Plateau.
Thanks Marcus for encompassing both Bill’s personal and professional roles; let’s hope a proper history gets done.
Posted by The Art Museum on Monday, 30 October 2017
We have uploaded a new page on photo-web that provides a link to my essays on Max Dupain as well as links to other articles and resources. Click here.
Celebrating artists — having artists parties — remains a good thing to do. A story from my history — back to 1978. enjoy!The photo below: David Moore photographing fellow photographers at the party.
Posted by The Art Museum on Monday, 23 October 2017
The Unflinching Gaze: photo media & the male figureBathurst Regional Art Gallery, Open until 3 Dec 2017there’s a link to the gallery at the bottom of the article..
Posted by Gael Newton on Friday, 20 October 2017
Sasha Grishin reviews National Library of Australia (Canberra) 2018 exhibition: Peter Dombrovskis — Journeys into the wild.
Continue reading William and Winfred Bowness Photography Prize
Mirroring Life, a retrospective exhibition — photographer André Kertész (1894–1985)Foam Museum Amsterdam 15 Sept 2017 — 10 Jan 2018
Posted by The Art Museum on Saturday, 16 September 2017
Sights and Scenes in Fair JapanSainsbury Institute for the Study of Japanese Arts and Cultures
Posted by The Art Museum on Monday, 14 August 2017
Exhibition: Lee Fook CheeLee Fook Chee: Son of Singapore, Photographer of Hong KongThe Art House, Singapore, 3 Aug‑3 Sept 2017
Posted by The Art Museum on Thursday, 10 August 2017
originally published earlier this year as a contribution to the research ‘Heritage in the Limelight: the magic lantern in Australia and the world’. click here for my paper
click here to see my postscript on my former report on these significant photography auctions by Mossgreen.
another cool day in Canberra
click here to see my report on these significant photography auctions by Mossgreen.
Time out on a freezing cold morning in Canberra
click here for the TAP site — or here for the Spring 2017 details — that includes a link to a review by me.
As listed: Dr Anne Mary Gray AM
from the listing:
The Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) has revealed a visual of its new Photography Centre — click here
Agents of Empire: How E.L. Mitchell’s photographs shaped AustraliaFor nearly 100 years, E.L. Mitchell’s emblematic photographs have shaped ideas about Australia.
But who was Mitchell and why did he succeed above his competitors?
Entries now invited
Continue reading William and Winifred Bowness Photography Prize
Anne Zahalka’s new exhibition at the city gallery in Albury- MAMA — till Sunday 5th November 2017
Curtain Call at Stills Gallery Sydney
Here at photographs of the opening of the final Stills Gallery exhibition — Curtin Call
INFORMATION CALL-OUT: FRANK HURLEYSearching for Frank Hurley along our northern beaches
Did you know that Frank Hurley was a very keen gardener and photographer of wild flowers?
Still have given notice of their final exhibition.
With Curtain Call, Stills Gallery is looking back over the history of the gallery and presents the mother of all salon hangs featuring over 70 artists from over the 26 years of exhibitions including:
Dörte Conroy — What Comes to Mind: Lorna Sim — Enigma:
Maurice Weidmann- Absence of Sunshine
Continue reading The Photography Room: May — June 2017
Click on the image above to see a new research paper by Belinda Hungerford that has been uploaded to photoweb.
A new research book has been published by the National Gallery of Singapore. It contains essays on Southeast Asian art by 25 scholars.
I was given the honour by the NGS of being one the contributing scholars.
The book is available from the NGS shop and through their website — click here.
Exhibition of Regis Lansac’s photographs at Janet Clayton Gallery:
3–28 May 2017
There’s a small exhibition at the National gallery of Australia.
An Elaine Campaner exhibition of photographs — recommended.
Back in 1996, Philip Bentley, Melbourne historian, wrote a thesis on the history of the Melbourne photographers, Group M.
Martin Kantor Portrait Prize EntryApplications close: 31st May 2017
click on image for more.…
click on image for details — entries close 26 July 2017
Curated by Ashley Lumb and Laura McLean — click on image.
click on banner for link to information about this great group of Australian photographers
This is an exhibition at photoaccess (Canberra) curated by Ashley Lumb and Laura McLean.
George W Bell photographer (1920 — 2008) was member of Group M — in Melbourne.
Exhibition of 40 years of photographs by Wesley Stacey at the Monash Gallery of Art, 4th March — 28 April 2017 — click here for pictures of the opening and other comments.
click on the banner above for a link to information on Harold Cazneaux and lists of rare photographs now for sale.
One to see — exhibition at Stills Gallery of Jane Brown’s photographs — Sporting Country.
At The Photography Room in Kingston (Canberra) is the exhibition by Sean Davey — Solomon Islands (2016).
Re-staging the first photographic exhibition..
click on image for the news of the exhibition of Ansel Adam’s ‘Museum Set’ — chosen by him to best represent his work.
Toby Meagher’s Research Paper–June 2013. The paper was written for a Masters in Art Administration at COFA. Click here.
Click on the image for the story on Artsy — about Frederick Douglass and his love and use of photography. “How Frederick Douglass Harnessed the Power of Portraiture to Reframe Blackness in America”
Exhibition of 40 years of photographs by Wesley Stacey at the Monash Gallery of Art, 4th March — 28 April 2017 — click here for details.
For more on Wesley — click here.
2 February — 4 March 2017 — click on image for images
18 February — 17 April 2017 at State Library of New South Wales — click on image for the exhibition notice
Images from PHOTOFAIRS San Francisco — click on the image above.
Contemporary photography is alive and well!
click on the image for the storyMartin Parr
