On Photography - snapshot photography

The term ‘snapshot’ usually refers to an unrehearsed amateur black and white photograph made sometime between 1900 and 1980. Frequently, these images are a spontaneous and casual record of social interaction - a party, an outing, a pet, a holiday or a gathering of family and friends. Snapshots can actually become the visual memory of some memorable event or encounter. Early on, they were exposed outdoors because of the roll film's inability to cope with low light conditions. By 1965, indoor images started occuring simply people wanted to try making some of their snapshots indoors.

I attach some interesting vernacular snapshots, sourced from Flickr at http://www.flickr.com/photos/73271710@N00/sets/.






The publisher of these images, Redbricktudor, has noted that the group portrait of Catholic priests was purchased in the town of Magnolia, Texas, during November 2004. These four men are recorded during their seminarian period and all wear black cassocks (also called the soutane). They are probably aged in their early twenties and none appear to be Catholic Jesuits, who always wore a cassock secured by hook fastenings rather than buttons.

Judging from the dimensions of the snapshot a date between 1920 and 1925 seems likely. The use of pomade to slick their hair into a closely parted coiffure is also accurate to that period. All four priests are posing for an informal portrait, although the man holding the prayer book seems the most relaxed. It is interesting to note that his cassock is made using silk.

Redbricktudor purchased another portrait of one of the priest’s from a dealer at Hardwick, Vermont, during August 2004. It is fascinating to see that it is of the same priest who is second from the left in the earlier group image. This snapshot must date from about a decade later. This man is no longer a seminarian but a fully-fledged priest. He is taking his photo-moment seriously and he looks much older and more care-worn, by about 10 years, than in the earlier group picture.

One feature common to early snapshots is the fact that the frame edges are almost always casually composed, as it was difficult to ascertain where the edges of the final photo would be. Often, snapshots are taken from a low camera angle in pre-1940 images, as the photographer had to look down into the camera’s viewfinder. Frequently, people gathered for the occasion of the photograph for some minutes and their facial expression frequently becomes ‘set’ by the waiting.

Snapshots came into being at the same time people began to own cameras, during the first two decades of the 20th century. Kodak first led the way with their Pocket Folding bellows camera (from about 1896), followed by the Box Brownie (from 1900) and their Kodak Instamatic (from 1965). These cameras were all cheap and portable. Their ease of use encouraged a regular usage of film and easy access to the commercially produced contact prints.

Click here to read more On Photography by Ron Brownson

Development project through the eyes of others

This youtube video (since this post this video has been removed from youtube) was sent to me this week. It certainly gives an idea of some of the more dramatic times in the development project so far.

The creator does not allow embedding the video so here is the link instead:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iG64j7m9J3M

Check out the webcam here for more up to date and detailed images of the project.

The Enchanted Garden - Stepping up the pace.

While paper conservators beaver away in the lab treating any prints that might be foxed, and painting conservators clean and treat any works that need attention before being put on display, the curator steps up the pace, finalising any public loans.

For The Enchanted Garden we are borrowing from several dealer galleries, so loan letters have to go out, contracts drawn up and any requirements on the part of the artist or dealer recorded carefully prior to the works being delivered.

We’re also borrowing decorative art objects from Auckland Museum, and our conservators have photographed the works and written condition reports. This happens with every loan work, both into and out of the Gallery, as it is important to have a record of any blemishes, damages etc especially when dealing with fragile porcelain or historic paintings.

As part of this process, the logistics of transporting and displaying individual items are carefully worked through. Two of the paintings in our collection are also getting new frames, so the curator’s job is to select the mouldings and liase with the framer. Meanwhile, research into selected works is taking place, and regular meetings with the designer, education and public programmers all have to fit into the mix.

To read more posts on The Enchanted Garden click here.


Image Credits (top to bottom):

Alberta Pulicino
View of Floriana from La Madonna del Tocha
Post 1749
oil on canvas
Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tamaki


Conservators at work
Photo by John McIver

On Photography - Paul Hewson’s Polaroid portraits of Robert Muldoon

In light of New Zealand’s current election campaign, I profile some political art in this week's post.

The Gallery only holds a few portraits of local politicians. Two of the most powerful are also amongst our smallest works – both measure 79 mm square and both have the same title: Muldoon T.V. 2

During 1975, I believe Paul Hewson attended the National Party’s election meeting in Auckland’s Town Hall where he photographed Robert Muldoon. Mr Muldoon was then the leader of the National Party and would soon become New Zealand’s Prime Minister, a position he held until 1984. I cannot find any records of Hewson’s photographs taken at this party political meeting being held in any public collection.

Mr Muldoon (1921 – 1992) brilliantly understood the ability of television to deliver political messages and he was renowned for his forceful political presence during television interviews.
An infamous example of his media style occurred when Simon Walker for TV1 interviewing him during 1976. Here is a link to archival footage of the interview.

Mr Muldoon tells Walker:

‘You are not going to set the rules my friend, this is an important matter and we are going to get to the truth of it’.


During 1976, Paul Hewson used his Polaroid SX70 camera to record these colour photographs from his television set’s black and white monitor while Mr Muldoon appeared in TV2’s live studio interview. The resulting images are digital portraits and result from Hewson's documentation of the television broadcast. The instantaneous results are two miniature portraits that have a visual wallop. Muldoon’s eyes look as if they are closed, an effect due to the camera’s slow exposure time. The Prime Minister seems utterly determined. These are portraits of a politician certain of his opinions, which is unsurprising, as the Prime Minister was known for his incisive thinking.


We see a similarly potent confidence in Tony Fomison’s political paintings from the 1970s, such as Jack in the Box 1978, where a Muldoon-like face intimidates a tiny person. This small work (419 x 333mm) came to the Gallery from the late Denis Cohn’s personal art collection.


Paul Hewson’s Muldoon T.V.2 reveals a Prime Minister who is assertive, powerful and authoritative. Fomison similarly understood that the physical scale of a portrait does not limit an artwork’s expressive potential.

Click here to read more On Photography by Ron Brownson


Credits (top to bottom)

Paul Hewson
Muldoon T.V.2 1977
colour SX70 polaroid print

Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tamaki

Paul Hewson
Muldoon T.V.2 1977
colour SX70 polaroid print

Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tamaki

Tony Fomison
Jack in the Box 1978
oil on linen
Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tamaki

On Photography - Sports photography in Canterbury

Edward Wheeler (active 1877 – 1912)
Trout in New Zealand Rivers, the Upper Selwyn. A good days sport 38 fish with the fly, two rods
circa 1890
gelatin silver print

Wheeler & Son maintained a major photographic studio in central Christchurch from about 1864 until 1912. Edmund Wheeler (1800 – 1877) and his son Edward (active 1877 – 1912) managed the family business. As well as being well-known studio portraitists, they produced many memorable landscape images. I have always thought that their sports photography was memorable as it shows their commitment to pre-planning and to recording significant events in Canterbury's sports calendar.

Edward Wheeler’s photograph of 38 trout dates from the early 1890s and must be one of the earliest angling records of a large catch. The trout are all young, as the species had only been in the Upper Selwyn River for less than two decades. It is likely that the bait used was live cockabully (freshwater Eleotris gobiodes), a major food for introduced trout. Perhaps the photograph marks one of the regular Canterbury Angler’s Associations competition days where the weight of the catch was often commented upon rather than the size of the trout. Apparently, night was a good time to fish in the Selwyn River.

Edward Wheeler (active 1877 – 1912)
Canterbury Rowing Club on the Avon
circa 1890
gelatin silver print

Photographs of the opening day of the Canterbury Rowing Club’s annual rowing season were relatively common during the period 1890 to 1910, according to photography historian William Main. This image is one of the earliest known images of the annual rowing event and was later issued as a printed postcard. The rowers are all members of the CRC and wear their ‘all whites’ which rowing historian Evan McCalman has kindly informed me are the correct club colours.

The Auckland Art Gallery does not have many sports photographs but this pair by Edward Wheeler are outstanding early examples in this genre of our photographic history.

Click here to read more On Photography by Ron Brownson

Opening of the Walters Prize 2008

Here are a few images of the opening of the 2008 Walters Prize. Oscar Keightly gave a brilliant and funny opening speach, welcoming everyone to the exhibition and there was certainly a buzz in the air that night.

Opening speaker Oscar Keightly

Edith Amituanai with Oscar Keightly

Lisa Reihana with Steven Ball


John Reynolds with Clare McLintoc


Peter Robinson with Ava Seymour


Witi Ihamaera, Jenny Gibbs
(one of the Founding benefactor and donors of the Walters Prize)
and Hart Reynolds

Everyone enjoyed a night to celebrate the opening of fourth Walters Prize. now we just have to see who judge Catherine David will choose as the winner of the 2008 Walters Prize. The winner is announced at a gala dinner on 31 October 2008.

Gallery Development - work begins

The development project seems to be moving along really quickly at the moment. Odd to see the staff room and below that the office that I occupied for six years being removed

Experienced Hawkins staff tell me that this part of a project - setting up for construction, clearing the site, putting up the hoardings and generally getting established is part of the busiest time from the public's point of view. So much seems to be changing each day. Looking at today's photos it seems hard to believe that it was only last week that we attended the plaque unveiling ceremony to mark the commencement of the project!

Rt Hon, Helen Clark, Prime Minister of New Zealand and His Worship, John Banks QSO Mayor of Auckland City at the plaque unveiling ceremony on 2 October 2008

It is good to see that some trees have already been planted along the boundary of the site on the Albert Park side. Watching trees be removed from the site by crane was one of the more dramatic sights to date!

Once the Edmiston wing, that is currently being demolished has been cleared, we will all be able to understand much more clearly the layout of the heritage buildings along Wellesley and Kitchener Street, and exactly where the new building will be constructed.

Packing up and moving on

The exhibition Turuki Turuki! Paneke Paneke! closed at the Auckland Art Gallery on the 24th August 2008. But that's not the end of it.

TTPP as it was affectionately know by staff here, is going on tour to Whangarei Art Museum.

I'll be following the exhibition's progress, from the de-installation at the Auckland Art Gallery, through its travels up the country and eventual opening in Whangarei.

To start with, here are some images of the registrars and preparators taking down the exhibition and packing it up safe and sound.

Registrar Penny Hacking with preparators Rod MacLeod and Dareen Sheehan packing artwork.


Sculptures in their specially made crates (thanks to the preparators).

Preparator Shane Norrie carefully putting an artwork in it's crate.

Photos by Jennifer French

On Photography - up on the roof

In contrast to my last post, the most recent photography acquisition of the Auckland Art Gallery is Richard Collins’ photograph Auckland Roofs of 1973. Richard was born in Wellington and educated at Christ's College, Christchurch before he trained as an architect at the University of Auckland. He began his photography during the early 1960s and learnt to make prints from Gary Baigent. Using a 35mm camera, he travelled throughout New Zealand making lyrical photographs of young adults and the ways in which they were then living.



Auckland Roofs is an impressive image because it is wonderfully subtle. As a large-scale vintage exhibition print, it is also a tremendous discovery for the Gallery. Two men (as seen in the detail above) survey Auckland from the top of the roof on a Freeman's Bay villa, in Franklin Road. The image was produced at the time when Ponsonby was still regarded as being an area of low cost housing dating from the Victorian era. Students, senior citizens and immigrant Pacific Islanders where the predominant residents of this inner city suburb.

Richard has obviously had to climb onto the roof of the house to get the image. The surreal notion of there being another rooftop ‘world’ is typical of the artist’s discerning humour, when an unexpected moment quickly marks the occasion of the image’s gathering. The tone of the print expresses the summer’s day with limpid heat. Looking back, we can sense the small town quality which Auckland still had the vestiges of in the early 1970s.


Credit:

Richard Collins
Auckland Roofs
1973
Gelatin silver print
Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tamaki, purchased 2008

What's going on?

If any of you are wondering how work is progressing on the main gallery during the development, you can get a birds-eye-view of the construction progress through the development webcam. Just click here to take a peak.

In time i'm hoping to add a timelapse of the construction to replace the current slideshow.