Street Lamp, Durham, New Hampshire, USA

A street lamp, early evening, New Hampshire, USA

Museum quality, archival print on cotton rag paper

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Canvas | Metal | Framed Prints

Urban Photography by Paul Foley

Salman Alhajri

• Visual artist, graphic designer and researcher in the field of visual arts

• Born in 1978

• Assistant Professor of Art and Graphic Design, Department of Art Education at Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat, Oman

Academic Qualifications:

• 2013 PhD in art and graphic design Education from Loughborough University, UK

• 2005 Master of Design from the University of Technology, Sydney, Australia

• 2001 Bachelor of  Education (Art Education) Department of Art Education, Sultan Qaboos University

The most recognized awards:

• December 2017- won the 1st award in the 12th annual exhibition of Arabic Calligraphy and Script Calligraphy, of Omani Society of Fine Arts.

• November 2016- won the 2nd award in the 1st annual exhibition Graphic Design of Omani Society of Fine Arts.

October 2016- won the jury award in the 24th annual exhibition of Omani Society of Fine Arts.

• October 2015 won the prize of the committee in a piece of artwork in the field of graphic design, in the ninth exhibition of small artworks in the Omani Society of Fine Arts.

• 2014– Bronze A' Design Award Winner for Arts, Crafts and Ready-Made Design Category in 2013-2014, Italy.

• 2013 – Won the First Graphic Design Award in the 8th Calligraphy & Script Calligraphy Annual Exhibition 2013.

• 2013 – Won the First Prize in the graphic design division of the Small Artwork Exhibition competition, Omani Society for Fine Arts.

• 2009 – Won a competition as a finalist in the 14th International Biennial Print Exhibition, ROC, organised by National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts.

• 2009 – Won a competition as a finalist in the International Aesthetica Creative Works Competition Art Category, organised by Aesthetica Magazine, UK.

• 2008 – Won a competition for best research poster on the Creative Interdisciplinarity in Art & Design Research Conference, Loughborough University, UK.

• 2008 – madalya of participating at the 21st Annual Festival of Plastic Art (Mahras) Tunisia.

• 2000 – 1st Prize at the 13th Gathering of Arabic Scout Rovers in Kuwait.

• Many of participating and appreciations certificates from different Omani institutions.

Local exhibitions

• 1 Feb - 15 March, display 11 of my original artworks at Bastah Majan Coffee Shop, Muscat.

• 6-13 December,  the 12th annual exhibition of Arabic Calligraphy and Script Calligraphy, of Omani Society of Fine Arts.

• 20 November - 20 January, 2018 the 25th Annual Grand Art Exhibition of OSFA, The Omani National museum.  

• 2017 – October 23rd to 25th, Group Exhibition of International Conference: Urban Primacy and Traditional Urban Fabric in Sultanate of Oman, Sultan Qaboos University, Oman.

• 2017 – August 06th - 10th, The 4rd Solo Exhibition "Digital Arts" at SALALAH TOURISM FESTIVAL, Salalah, Dhofar Governorate, Oman.

• 2017 – July 24th - 26th, group Art Exhibition, Paint for peace’ , Oman International Exhibition Centre of Sohar, 2017, Oman.

• 2017 – February, group Art Exhibition, Irtiqa’ , Muscat Festival 2017, Oman.

• 2016 – December, group Art Exhibition, Leqa’ , Tunisian  Embassy In Muscat, Oman.

• 2016 –The 1st annual exhibition of Graphic Design of OSFA.

• 2016 – November, The 24th Annual Exhibition of OSFA, Muscat

• 2016 – November, group Art Exhibition, Draw for Peace, India Embassy In Muscat, Oman.

• 2016 – November, group Art Exhibition, Islam and the world, Sultan Qaboos Higher Centre for Culture and Science

• 2016 – September,The 11th Annual Arabic Calligraphy Exhibition 2016, (OSFA), Muscat.

• 2016 – May, The 2nd solo exhibition of Salman Alhajri (Closer to the Dream) Bait Al Zubair, Muscat.

• 2016 – March, group Art Exhibition, modern arts salon, Cultural Club, Muscat.

• 2015 – 9th Small Artworks Exhibition (OSFA), Muscat.

• 2015 – September, The 2nd solo exhibition of Salman Alhajri, Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat.

• 2014 – November, The 22nd Annual Exhibition of OSFA, Muscat.

• 2014 – The 8th Small Artworks Exhibition (OSFA), Muscat, from 21 to 27 Oct.

• 2013 – The 17th Youth Exhibition of fine arts, (OSFA), Muscat.

• 2013 – The 8th Calligraphy & Script Calligraphy Annual Exhibition 2013, (OSFA), Muscat.

• 2013 – Small Artworks Exhibition (OSFA), Muscat.

• 2013 – Group exhibition (Majan), The Cultural Club, Muscat.

• 2012 – Wall Painting 2012 of Ghalya’s Musem of Modern Art, Matrah, Muscat.

• 2008 – The 3rd Annual Exhibition of Arabic Calligraphy (OSFA).

• 2006 – The 10th Annual Youth Exhibition (Ibda'a Wa'ed) (OSFA).        

• 2006 – The 1st Annual Exhibition of Arabic Calligraphy (OSFA).

• 2006 – Group Exhibition of Art Education Teachers, Al Mudaybi, Ash Sharqiyah North Governorate.

• 2000 – The art exhibition associated with The Celebration of the First Visit of His Majesty to Sultan Qaboos University.

• 2000 – Group exhibition, 'Lineaments from Omani nature', Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat, The 6th Salalah Festival, Salalah, Oman.

• 2000 – Group exhibition associated with the 4th and 5th Annual Muscat Book Fairs.

• 1997 – Group exhibition, Ibra Technical College, Ibra.

• 1996 – The 9th Annual Exhibition of Omani Artists, Sur.

• 1996 – Group of Artists Exhibition, Ash Sharqiyah Governorate (Ibra, Sur, Jaalan).

• 1994 – The 1st Exhibition of Bidiya’s Artists, Bidiya Sports and Cultural Club.

International participation:

• 21 of June Until 21st of August 2019, participated at a group art exhibition entitled "Mid-Summer Night's Dream" Fete, at Amsterdam Whitney Gallery, Chelsea, New York, USA.

• 04- 21 March, 2019, The Solo exhibition, "Spirits of Letters", on the 4th of March 2019, at the Cultural Village Foundation - Building 19, Hall 1, Katara, Doha, Qatar.

• 19th January, 2019, 5th Koonoz Fine Art Auction and Exhibition,  Bvlgari Hotel, manged by Sotheby's Auction, London 2019, under the patronage of Sheikha Rabaa Khalid Al Ahmed Al Sabah.

• 16- 21 January, 2019, The Solo exhibition, "The Village" as part of The 25th Anniversary of Qurain Cultural Festival, 2018 organised by Kuwait's National Council for Culture, Arts and Letters (NCCAL) Ahmed Al-Adwani exhibition hall in Dahiat Abdullah Al-Salem, Kuwait.

• 19- 21 October, 2018, Art Shopping 2018 (Edition 23) (Carrousel Du Louvre) with The Zee Arts Gallery, Dubai.

• 9- 15 January 2018, The 7th Annual Art Exhibition titled: "Horse & Desert Heritage", Al Najma Club, Bahrain.

• 6-13 December, 2017 participated with 10 artworks in the Art exhibition that associated with the art and design event, "Layers", College of Arts, University of Bahrain.

• 23 November 2017, participated with 4 digital (printed) in the occasion of the 47th celebration of National Day at the Omani Council in Australia.  

• Konoos Fine Art, Auction & Exhibition, At Lanes borough Hotel, 28 of September 2017, operated by Bonhams.

• The 3rd Solo Exhibition "Shores of The Dreams" at Sultan Bin Ali Al Owais Foundation, Dubai, between 26th of April to 12 of May 2017.

• Many international exhibitions, workshops and seminars in: Algeria, Brunei, Iran, London, Kuwait, Dubai, Tunisia and Sydney.

Art schools and the fine art trends:

• Art field: free drawing, digital painting, oil painting, graphic design, photography.

• Trends: calligraphy, realism, expressive art, influential art, surrealism, abstract, and constructive.

• Themes: landscape, Omani historical motives  , the Omani environment, calligraphy, humanity issues, portraits and calligraphy.  

• Raw materials and tools used: Acrylic colors, silk screen printing, computer and graphics programs, printers, tablets, smartphones, and various materials.

For more details on our products and services, please feel free to visit us at Salman Alhajri, Calligraphy art, digital arts, Abstract Art, Arts for sale

Robert Malherbe's confident articulation of landscape and figurative subject matter has earned him the distinction of being one of Australia's most loved contemporary painters. His heavy impasto application of oils is as seductive as it is revealing of the pace in which he paints. Working only from life, Robert Malherbe is a master of light, confidently capturing fleeting moments in a vibrant impressionistic style, driven by instinct and gesture. Robert also paints a fine portrait. Portraiture is a very old artform and before the invention of photography was the only way to record the appearance of someone. Portraits have always been more than a record. They have been used to show power, importance, virtue, beauty, wealth, taste or other qualities of the sitter. Portraits have almost always been flattering due to the commission process. Artists have extended this by painting friends and lovers in whatever way they pleased. Photography is the new medium of traditional portraiture, making available to everyone what was formerly an expensive luxury product. Despite photography, portrait painting continues to flourish. A short film titled "The portraits progress" has been created for Art Signifikant members and will be released in November. Filmed by Simon Hewson members will experience Robert in the studio painting a portrait of James Dorahy, Program Director of Art Signifikant. Art Signifikant gratefully acknowledges the support of the City of Sydney through the Covid-19 Relief Grants Program for the production of this video to assist with online content development for our art education program. . . @robert_malherbe @jamesdorahy @fatografi_insta @cityofsydney #artsignifikant #arteducation #cityofsydney #michaelreidsydney #robertmalherbe (at Michael Reid Sydney) https://www.instagram.com/p/CGBSnSYj346/?igshid=13t4vohfvk8xo

Vanessa Stockard “I have always enjoyed reading human traits in animals, cats can be so soft and toy-like, yet demonic too, dogs in their loyalty, just not where food is concerned. So that's 22 years worth so far and counting.” - Vanessa Stockard, Artist. Vanessa Stockard’s delicate still life paintings portray dark little beasties up to no good and staggeringly beautiful portraiture. Stockard resides in the cool serenity of the Southern Highlands of Australia. Having graduated from ‘COFA’ with a Bachelor of Fine Arts majoring in painting, Stockard studied Anatomy and Life drawing at the ‘Julian Ashton Art School’ and Still Life and Landscape Painting at the ‘North Sydney Art School’ as well as gilding and carving with Dane Wilson, Master Framer in the USA. Stockard is a master at transforming the familiarities of everyday life into whimsical adventures. Her paintings are amusing and sweet, awkward and potentially dangerous, domestic creatures reinvented with bazaar anthropomorphic attributes. Stockard captures the unique and sometimes abstract, yet, she also captures the interesting and beautiful connection between things. She breathes life into the delicate quiet moments that tend to get overlooked. #neonurchin #neonurchinblog #dedicatedtothethingswelove #suzyurchin #ollyurchin #art #music #photography #fashion #film #words #pictures #neon #urchin #vanessastockard #artist #painter #selfportrait #dogs #cats #whimsical #delicate #lightandshade #julianashtonschoolofart #cofa (at Australia) https://www.instagram.com/p/B3l-4X-AwaG/?igshid=i459w3k3jqn6

           The Other Art Fair Sydney,  Presented by Saatchi Art.

The Print Swap, the worldwide project by Feature Shoot, is heading for The Other Art Fair Sydney next month! Curated by Carly Earl, Picture Editor at The Guardian Australia, our tenth international exhibiting features 21 images from photographers all over the world. Selected photographers hail from locales throughout the United States, Brazil, India, Bangladesh, Singapore, Finland, Sweden, Spain, Russia, and France.

There is no fixed theme for this exhibition, and the collection is left open to interpretation. Perhaps one theme that does emerge, however, centers around the precarious relationship between nature and humankind. The sea becomes a recurring motif, as does the man-altered landscape, as seen in Stas Bartnikas’s aerial landscape and Emmanual Monzon’s roadside scenery. The fragility of the wild comes to the fore in the works of Tiina Tormanen, who photographs a dead fish, and Aurélien Calonne, who captures Skaftafellsjökull, a melting glacier in Iceland. And still, despite all this frailty, these twenty photographers find beauty in the earth, whether they’re exploring the remotest wilderness or walking the bustling city streets.

Presented by Saatchi Art, The Other Art Fair Sydney is now in its fifth year. Join thousands of visitors for the fair at Australian Technology Park in Eveleigh from March 14-17. You can purchase tickets here.

As a reminder, photographers around the world are welcome to submit to The Print Swap by tagging their best images #theprintswap on Instagram. Submissions are currently open for our Paris exhibition, opening for five days at Studio Galerie B&B this spring. The photographer and gallery co-director Elise Prudhomme will be our guest curator. All Print Swap photographers give a picture and receive one from another inspiring photographer somewhere in the world, regardless of whether or not they are selected for our offline exhibitions. As always, it’s free to submit, but selected photographers pay $40 per image to be part of the swap. Learn more at our website and follow along at @theprintswap for updates.

Feature Shoot showcases the work of international emerging and established photographers who are transforming the medium through compelling, cutting-edge projects. With contributing writers from all over the world and a wide range of interests, we feature contemporary work in all genres of photography: fine art, documentary, portrait, still life, landscape and more. We believe that photography is a powerful mode of storytelling, and share works that have a strong narrative vision. Started in 2008 by Alison Zavos, Feature Shoot has now amassed an archive of over 4,000 posts of exceptional photography from around the globe.

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How to Find Your Style in Photography

How do I find my style? It’s a question that inevitably comes up for almost every photographer actively trying to improve their images. It’s a tough question, at first. Because at first, you don’t really know what that means. Many photographers think that “style” is just equal to how someone might edit their images.

They start going down the rabbit hole, curious about how their favorite photographers ended up with those nice blue tones, or desaturated browns on their feeds, or how they have just that little bit of fade in every image.

When someone is starting out in photography, they don’t know the trends that have come and gone. The permanence of certain visual language elements that have stood the test of time. Or the kitsch crazes that have been and passed.

All of that is okay because that’s the journey we’re all on. The shiny stuff aside, to really find your style in photography, one has to know what this actually means.

What Style Is

Style is not a specific “thing”. It’s not something you can just decide to have or not have. Rather, think of style as a toolbox. A toolbox that has been refined over time.

When an apprentice builder starts his first job, he does so with a few tools he thinks he might need. Eventually, he finds tasks that he doesn’t have the tools for. He figures things out and adds more tools. Along the way, he finds better, more efficient tools to do the same tasks, and so he swaps out his old tools over time.

Eventually, after having nailed thousands of nails and making hundreds of walls, he knows how to do it in his way, fast. Efficient. With style and grace, even. He’s become a master at that task and he sticks to what he knows.

Style is a lot like that. It looks a lot like the process of mastery. Your toolbox isn’t just things like cameras, lenses, and drones. It’s not just your choices of blue tones or red tones. It’s not just whether you like sharp images or blurry ones.

It’s also more abstract – it’s what you shoot, how you shoot it, and why. Do you shoot landscapes more than urban scenes? Portraits over street? How do you shoot those scenes? Wide? Tight? Abstract? Why do you choose to shoot those scenes and why did you decide to do it in that way?

The answer to those questions is the genesis of “style” – the foundation of your toolkit.

It’s About What You Value in Life

A mix of knowing what you don’t know, and an alignment of that knowledge to the things you value in your own life.

For me, photography is about two things: Adventure and minimalism.

My first camera was given to me by my ex-girlfriend. We’d chatted about wanting our relationship to have more adventure, and a camera was a great excuse to get out in the world and start documenting them. I’ve been addicted to chasing new experiences ever since.

But I’m also a minimalist. I put a lot of value on the things I bring in to my life. So on a more tactical level in my images, I try very hard to lean in to simple scenes. Scenes that have only 1 focus point, scenes that are immediately understandable and don’t require a lot of abstraction to pull meaning from.

I do this because I’m thoughtful about the value I place on my time in real life, and subsequently, I’m cognizant of your time too.

Of course, this, like all things in photography, is generally a guideline, not a rule, but it’s something I aim for, and it’s also something that took me a long time of practice, reflection, and a lot (over 100,000) of crappy frames to uncover, and I’m still (and forever) working on it. This is the state of my toolbox right now, and it’s always going to be changing.

What value do you give photography in your life?

One of my photography idols, Alex Strohl, talks about his work being symbolic of his love towards water. How it features in his images, the types of tones he uses, everything. I’ll let you discover why that is in your own discovery of his work, but this is the genesis of it, and I think the clarity of meaning he’s given his work is great.

It Begins with Inspiration

Start with why and find inspiration (from inside or outside yourself) until you discover the answer. The problem for most beginners (but it never really goes away for anyone) is that you don’t know what you don’t know. There are so many places to gather your inspiration from. So many influences you can apply to your own photography.

Don’t think Instagram. Look wider. Look deeper.

Expose yourself to as much inspiration you can and take note of what you like and give value to that. Maybe it’s the story of your childhood. The visual treatment of your favorite movie. Your favorite quote from your grandma. A memory of a trip you’ll never forget.

How can you turn your life’s experiences into images?

Focus on the why and all else will follow. All the other shiny things like gear, settings, and post-processing will be so much better once you have your why.

But of course, look for other things that inspire you too – visual language techniques, color palettes, bokeh, focal lengths, big scenes, little scenes, countries, films, everything. They all have a part to play.

The Clarity of Synthesis

After you’ve immersed yourself in inspiration and made a list of the things you love and are inspired by, synthesize them into something meaningful. Make sense of your inspiration. Give yourself some maxims to operate by, even if you just write them down and never use them, at least they’ll be in your subconscious for when you’re out in the field.

Once you’ve defined what you’re inspired by, it’s much easier to find and make those images in the real world.

It might seem silly to make a vision board of your own style. It might seem strange to write down that you like taking photos of animals because you miss your dog at home. The act of getting it down into the real world, to synthesize it, gives you clarity that most other people just don’t have. And when someone asks you “why do you take photographs?”, you’ll have a killer answer for them that will make you feel great and inspire them to think about their own work, too.

The Art of Experimentation

Once you’ve synthesized your style, you’ve reached the hardest part of it all. Putting yourself out there. It’s time to test it out. At first, alone. Spend time working on it as much as you can. But eventually, with people. Because art really isn’t art until it’s shared, and feedback isn’t really feedback unless someone else is giving it.

Yes, it’s scary. Yes, people might not like it. But if you like it, then maybe it’s not for them, and that’s okay. But for the people who do like it, it might just be the best f***ing thing in the world, and without putting it out there, no one would never know.

What I love about this stage though, is the impermanence of experimentation. If it’s just an experiment, then it’s temporary. It should be. It means you can take it away or revert back to something else. But it also means that you can make it even better if it’s successful and it works.

It’s imperative that every creative sees life in this way. To have the courage to try something new, even if it’s scary. Change is the only method for growth.

The Value of Repetition

And once you take your experiment, shown it to the world and both you and the world loves it, refine it. Work on it some more. Keep getting better and better at that thing, because it’s here that the builder becomes a Master builder.

It’s here that you can see the finesse in the quality of work. The smooth joins and the perfect vertical lines. It’s also after mastering something that you can see the finesse in the quality of other people’s work and add that to your own inspiration too. It’s the best of all worlds.

And Then Start Again

Because creativity has ebbs and flows. Ups and downs. Sure things and irrational fears. Sometimes you need to just drop everything and start again. Sometimes that’s necessary to create the great work you’ll do in the future. It’s totally fine. It was all an experiment anyway.

After all, your toolbox might be a big one. Hell, it might even be well organized. But just like creativity, the contents never really stay the same forever.

Happy shooting and good luck.

P.S. If you enjoyed this article, please consider checking out my preset pack! Each sale helps support me and my work, and in return you get 25 high quality Adobe Lightroom presets and 15 high-res mobile wallpapers to use! Check them out at shop.patkay.com.

About the author: Pat Kay is a freelance photographer and content creator based in Sydney, Australia. The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author. Kay has garnered over 65,000+ people on Instagram to share his journey with and works regularly with many great brands such as Sony, DJI, Samsung, Adidas, Nike, Ford, Lexus, Cathay Pacific, and more. You can find more of his work on his website, Instagram, Facebook, and 500px. This article was also published here.

source https://petapixel.com/2019/03/15/how-to-find-your-style-in-photography/

How to Find Your Style in Photography

How do I find my style? It’s a question that inevitably comes up for almost every photographer actively trying to improve their images. It’s a tough question, at first. Because at first, you don’t really know what that means. Many photographers think that “style” is just equal to how someone might edit their images.

They start going down the rabbit hole, curious about how their favorite photographers ended up with those nice blue tones, or desaturated browns on their feeds, or how they have just that little bit of fade in every image.

When someone is starting out in photography, they don’t know the trends that have come and gone. The permanence of certain visual language elements that have stood the test of time. Or the kitsch crazes that have been and passed.

All of that is okay because that’s the journey we’re all on. The shiny stuff aside, to really find your style in photography, one has to know what this actually means.

What Style Is

Style is not a specific “thing”. It’s not something you can just decide to have or not have. Rather, think of style as a toolbox. A toolbox that has been refined over time.

When an apprentice builder starts his first job, he does so with a few tools he thinks he might need. Eventually, he finds tasks that he doesn’t have the tools for. He figures things out and adds more tools. Along the way, he finds better, more efficient tools to do the same tasks, and so he swaps out his old tools over time.

Eventually, after having nailed thousands of nails and making hundreds of walls, he knows how to do it in his way, fast. Efficient. With style and grace, even. He’s become a master at that task and he sticks to what he knows.

Style is a lot like that. It looks a lot like the process of mastery. Your toolbox isn’t just things like cameras, lenses, and drones. It’s not just your choices of blue tones or red tones. It’s not just whether you like sharp images or blurry ones.

It’s also more abstract – it’s what you shoot, how you shoot it, and why. Do you shoot landscapes more than urban scenes? Portraits over street? How do you shoot those scenes? Wide? Tight? Abstract? Why do you choose to shoot those scenes and why did you decide to do it in that way?

The answer to those questions is the genesis of “style” – the foundation of your toolkit.

It’s About What You Value in Life

A mix of knowing what you don’t know, and an alignment of that knowledge to the things you value in your own life.

For me, photography is about two things: Adventure and minimalism.

My first camera was given to me by my ex-girlfriend. We’d chatted about wanting our relationship to have more adventure, and a camera was a great excuse to get out in the world and start documenting them. I’ve been addicted to chasing new experiences ever since.

But I’m also a minimalist. I put a lot of value on the things I bring in to my life. So on a more tactical level in my images, I try very hard to lean in to simple scenes. Scenes that have only 1 focus point, scenes that are immediately understandable and don’t require a lot of abstraction to pull meaning from.

I do this because I’m thoughtful about the value I place on my time in real life, and subsequently, I’m cognizant of your time too.

Of course, this, like all things in photography, is generally a guideline, not a rule, but it’s something I aim for, and it’s also something that took me a long time of practice, reflection, and a lot (over 100,000) of crappy frames to uncover, and I’m still (and forever) working on it. This is the state of my toolbox right now, and it’s always going to be changing.

What value do you give photography in your life?

One of my photography idols, Alex Strohl, talks about his work being symbolic of his love towards water. How it features in his images, the types of tones he uses, everything. I’ll let you discover why that is in your own discovery of his work, but this is the genesis of it, and I think the clarity of meaning he’s given his work is great.

It Begins with Inspiration

Start with why and find inspiration (from inside or outside yourself) until you discover the answer. The problem for most beginners (but it never really goes away for anyone) is that you don’t know what you don’t know. There are so many places to gather your inspiration from. So many influences you can apply to your own photography.

Don’t think Instagram. Look wider. Look deeper.

Expose yourself to as much inspiration you can and take note of what you like and give value to that. Maybe it’s the story of your childhood. The visual treatment of your favorite movie. Your favorite quote from your grandma. A memory of a trip you’ll never forget.

How can you turn your life’s experiences into images?

Focus on the why and all else will follow. All the other shiny things like gear, settings, and post-processing will be so much better once you have your why.

But of course, look for other things that inspire you too – visual language techniques, color palettes, bokeh, focal lengths, big scenes, little scenes, countries, films, everything. They all have a part to play.

The Clarity of Synthesis

After you’ve immersed yourself in inspiration and made a list of the things you love and are inspired by, synthesize them into something meaningful. Make sense of your inspiration. Give yourself some maxims to operate by, even if you just write them down and never use them, at least they’ll be in your subconscious for when you’re out in the field.

Once you’ve defined what you’re inspired by, it’s much easier to find and make those images in the real world.

It might seem silly to make a vision board of your own style. It might seem strange to write down that you like taking photos of animals because you miss your dog at home. The act of getting it down into the real world, to synthesize it, gives you clarity that most other people just don’t have. And when someone asks you “why do you take photographs?”, you’ll have a killer answer for them that will make you feel great and inspire them to think about their own work, too.

The Art of Experimentation

Once you’ve synthesized your style, you’ve reached the hardest part of it all. Putting yourself out there. It’s time to test it out. At first, alone. Spend time working on it as much as you can. But eventually, with people. Because art really isn’t art until it’s shared, and feedback isn’t really feedback unless someone else is giving it.

Yes, it’s scary. Yes, people might not like it. But if you like it, then maybe it’s not for them, and that’s okay. But for the people who do like it, it might just be the best f***ing thing in the world, and without putting it out there, no one would never know.

What I love about this stage though, is the impermanence of experimentation. If it’s just an experiment, then it’s temporary. It should be. It means you can take it away or revert back to something else. But it also means that you can make it even better if it’s successful and it works.

It’s imperative that every creative sees life in this way. To have the courage to try something new, even if it’s scary. Change is the only method for growth.

The Value of Repetition

And once you take your experiment, shown it to the world and both you and the world loves it, refine it. Work on it some more. Keep getting better and better at that thing, because it’s here that the builder becomes a Master builder.

It’s here that you can see the finesse in the quality of work. The smooth joins and the perfect vertical lines. It’s also after mastering something that you can see the finesse in the quality of other people’s work and add that to your own inspiration too. It’s the best of all worlds.

And Then Start Again

Because creativity has ebbs and flows. Ups and downs. Sure things and irrational fears. Sometimes you need to just drop everything and start again. Sometimes that’s necessary to create the great work you’ll do in the future. It’s totally fine. It was all an experiment anyway.

After all, your toolbox might be a big one. Hell, it might even be well organized. But just like creativity, the contents never really stay the same forever.

Happy shooting and good luck.

P.S. If you enjoyed this article, please consider checking out my preset pack! Each sale helps support me and my work, and in return you get 25 high quality Adobe Lightroom presets and 15 high-res mobile wallpapers to use! Check them out at shop.patkay.com.

About the author: Pat Kay is a freelance photographer and content creator based in Sydney, Australia. The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author. Kay has garnered over 65,000+ people on Instagram to share his journey with and works regularly with many great brands such as Sony, DJI, Samsung, Adidas, Nike, Ford, Lexus, Cathay Pacific, and more. You can find more of his work on his website, Instagram, Facebook, and 500px. This article was also published here.

from Photography News https://petapixel.com/2019/03/15/how-to-find-your-style-in-photography/

Here are the best Australian music blogs!

New Post has been published on https://gr8gossip.xyz/here-are-the-best-australian-music-blogs/

Here are the best Australian music blogs!

Blogs have occupied cyberspace since the late 90s, but in the dizzying vacuum that is the internet, very few things have stood the test of time. In the information age we’re constantly being bombarded with spontaneous sensory overload, which can often feel overwhelming. It’s thanks to independent news outlets that we’re able to pick out the best artists from the pile.

There’s certainly no shortage of music blogs in Australia, in fact, it’s thanks to blogs that some our biggest dance acts of the late 2000’s were thrusted into the limelight. Due to the fair few blogs that have sparked international popularity, a whole new generation of music lovers have since become part of the conversation, shedding light on the innovative young acts to come.

In an effort to get really meta, below is a list of Australia’s biggest blogs that have firmly planted themselves as purveyors of fine musical tastes.

Acid Stag

Consistently banging out quality reviews, playlists and interviews, Acid Stag focus on all things dance music. They also happen to run a radio show exclusive to Spotify and Apple Music, where they spin everything from contemporary club anthems to underground club rattlers. However, we must praise them for not only promoting established artists, but also bringing promising new talent to the forefront.

Want to get your tracks heard? head to the about tab at acidstag.com and scroll down to the submission guidelines.

Baked Goods

Bringing a vast array of interviews, gig info and exclusive live sessions, Baked Goods are undoubtedly one of most unusual blogs on this list, shining a light on some of Australia’s biggest artists in the realms of pop, rap, R&B and indie. Since their inception in mid 2016, Baked Goods have gone on to provide on-the-minute news and interviews with bands and artists spanning numerous genres, racking up 2 million views and beyond.

Check out baked goods here: bakedgoodsmedia.com.au

Backyard Opera

Based over in Tempe, Backyard Opera are a publication that centres around topics such as art, photography, fashion, music and even food. Possibly one of the most diverse blogs on this list, BYO offers the latest in art and culture and even has a restaurant and cafe guide! Most recently, the unconventional outlet has interviewed the likes of Liars, Gretta Ray, DZ Deathrays.

If you’re a sucker for all things creative in Australia, browse their recent content here: backyardopera.com

Balcony TV

Founded about 12 years ago, Balcony TV has consistently hosted videos of various bands and singer/songwriters performing on balconies. As absurd as it sounds, this outlet has racked up countless views since it’s beginning in 2006, and has featured famous acts such as Jessie J, Mumford and Sons, as well a young Ed Sheeran before he was famous! Each act that plays on BalconyTV is given a city, and the winning act is chosen through how much “likes” they get. The more votes they get, the higher they peak on the charts.

Check out this quirky blog at www.balconytv.com

Best Before

Sydney-based outlet Best Before brings you on-the-minute news regarding gigs, new releases and reviews. The team, comprised of an enthusiastic group of photographers, journalists and students are keeping it straight up Aussie, with a myriad of interviews, feature articles, livestreams and video clips centring around the countries most exciting new acts. Best Before are undoubtedly obsessed with live music, so you can to count on them to bring you all the major gig info in Sydney, whether you’re into indie rock, rap, pop or dance music.

Check out Best Before at bestbefore.co

Want to get a hold of them? Drop your email below for a list of contacts for the best australian music blogs!

Cool Accidents

Cool Accidents are an umbrella for everything pop culture and live music. Despite primarily focusing on popular acts, they also pride themselves in fostering young independent talent from Australia and abroad. If you follow them on social media you’d know that they’re constantly churning out new content, from new releases to tour info and all the latest gossip regarding Australian pop music.

Cool Accidents are always hosting giveaways too, so make sure you visit coolaccidents.com/tags/win and get lucky!

Futuremag

Futuremag’s specialty is all in the name. Focusing on everything forward-thinking in the realms of electronic music and pop, Futuremag is ideal for ravers, producers or simply just enthusiasts of dance music. Here you’ll find a variety of new releases from Australia and abroad as well as photos, event reviews and interviews. Futuremag also throw a monthly party with the help of Plasticine at The Foundry in Brisbane, so if you’re based up north, be sure to experience one of these unique art-pop inspired parties.

Check out Futuremag at: futuremagmusic.org

Happy Mag

Enmore-based Happy mag is an enthusiastic bunch of artists and journalists who pride themselves on bringing quality content regarding music, art and youth culture. Having launched just under 3 years ago, Happy mag have risen to the forefront of music journalism in Sydney, with a inbuilt gig guide and a news section centring around Australian culture and music. Unlike most blogs, Happy mag also have a vinyl section, where you can find info regarding original pressings and reissues available in Australia.

To get amongst it, check Happy Mag out at: hhhhappy.com

I OH YOU

I OH YOU have been around for almost a decade, and in that time they have branched out into a record label and blog as well as a management company all in one. Having been born in the midst of the blog house era that brought the spotlight to so many beloved Australian acts, it’s almost impossible to not have heard of them. Beginning just under a decade ago, I OH YOU started as a series of house parties in a desperate attempt to pay the bills, now it has blossomed into successful imprint that continues to thrive in such a unique musical landscape.

Check them out at: iohyou.com

LunchBox

Unlike many commercial news sites, Lunchbox has some very strong views regarding the authenticity of music journalism. Swearing to avoid sponsored posts, clickbait and “general waffle”, this quirky news site brings you everything music related from Australia and New Zealand with minimal clutter. Offering up original content such as mixtapes, photo galleries and interviews, Lunchbox brings you the latest music from established acts and newcomers alike, spanning all genres of music.

Be sure to check out Lunchbox at lunchboxtv.com.au

Pilerats

Founded in 2011, Pilerats have risen to the top of their game. As a collective of like minded music fanatics, they sure know their business. It’s only through extensive research and passion that Pilerats have become the go-to outlet for all things related to dance music, rap, pop and indie rock. However, if you’ve ever visited Pilerats on their website, you’d know that they offer much more than the average run-of-the-mill music gossip, they also showcase a wealth of home grown art, design and photography.

If you haven’t, you can sus them out at pilerats.com

Project U

If you’re thirsty for all things pop, Project U is your blog. Covering all avenues of pop culture and gossip, this bubbly website is packed with exclusive content. From podcasts to interviews and gig photos, Project U has you covered at all times. On this site you can expect to find interviews from some of the biggest stars in pop right now such as Troye Sivan, AlunaGeorge, Lido and more.

Project U are constantly buzzing with new content so feel free hit them up via their Facebook at facebook.com/projectudottv

Purple Sneakers

Possibly one of the most dedicated blogs out there, Purple Sneakers keeps it 100% Aussie, endorsing music from both highly established and underground acts. If you’re based in Sydney, theres a high chance you’ve caught the Purple Sneakers DJ’s in action, regularly shaking up venues and festivals across the city and beyond. On this blog you can expect a diverse mix of pop, rap and dance related news and releases, as well as the odd interview and review. In addition to running the blog, they also run a weekly show on FBi where they spin all the biggest tracks featured on their website.

Check out Purple Sneakers at purplesneakers.com.au

Stoney Roads

As if we could resist chucking ourselves on this list! Since setting up shop in 2007, Stoney Roads has become a one stop shop for everything related to dance music, whether it involves interviews with some of the world’s favourite producers, throwing the odd party or just general music related banter. Founded by two friends with a mutual appreciation for a good shindig, Stoney Roads later developed into a community of artists, journalists, designers and producers who dedicate their time to constantly bring brand new content. The more recent years have seen Stoney Roads branch out into a record label also, bringing some of Sydneys most promising new acts into the spotlight.

Don’t hesitate to check us out at stoneyroads.com

The AU Review

Long running news outlet The AU Review have certainly left their mark on the current media landscape. Establishing themselves over a decade ago, they not only discuss music but also topics such as film & TV, gaming, travel, technology, literature and lifestyle. This extremely broad array of content makes for a blog that has something for everyone, whether you’re an art lover, techie, or just a casual creative. With a website that boasts such a diverse array of content, it’s pretty hard to scroll through without finding an article that’ll interest you.

You’ll likely find their magazines lying around if you hang around any good pub or restaurant, but you can also check out their website at: http://launch.theaureview.com

The Brag

Priding themselves as being “Sydney’s favourite independent street press”, The Brag have you covered, whether you’re into music, comedy, food, gaming, photography or politics. On their twitter feed you can find news regarding anything from Cartoons to Wildlife to Ben & Jerry’s. The sheer miscellaneousness of The Brag’s output adds to it’s charm, exposing you to news you never thought you needed. With a pop culture sensibility that appeals to both the young and old, The Brag has no limits.

Check out their website here: thebrag.com

The Interns

Easily one of the best looking websites on this list, The Interns focuses on everything pop. With the team comprised of illustrators, journalists and graphic designers, this site certainly makes for an entertaining browse. Taking pride in various trolls such as creating fake Splendour lineups and children’s books starring Kanye West and Jay-Z, The Interns are a quirky bunch, adding a touch of humour amidst your usual pop culture gossip. On this blog you’ll find interviews and reviews of Australian artists, as well as news from some of the most polarising figures in contemporary pop music.

Check out their website here (it’s beautiful): theinterns.net

The Ripe

Ripe is a music publication that engulfs the Australian music scene on a whole, and prides itself on providing news on upcoming artists as well as big artists. Complete with a gig guide and a photo gallery, The Ripe is a diverse hub of Australian music, curated by artists and music lovers alike. With playlists that span an infinite variety of styles, these guys really have their ear to the ground, bringing much needed diversity to a commercial media landscape that seems to always focus on the headliners.

Feel free to chuck on one of their playlists, you might even find your new favourite Australian band! ripemusic.com.au

Keen to get in touch with these blogs? We’ve made it super easy, drop your email below for a download link to a pdf with the best people to chat to! Have music ready? Be sure to check out our ‘5 Tips To Supercharge Your Music Release’ feature as well

Sony World Photography Awards 2018: Australia National Award winner Chris Round part of global winners

Sony World Photography Awards 2018: Australia National Award winner Chris Round part of global winners

THE striking landscape of Australia’s Snowy Mountains inspired Chris Round to take this photo, which judges of the 2018 Sony World Photography Awards couldn’t ignore.

An expert panel found the image to be the best single image taken by an Australian photographer submitted to the 2018 Awards.

​Round, a Sydney-based fine art photographer won the prestigious 2018 Australia National Award.

The…

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Dusk, Hudhuranfushi, The Maldives (0113)

The golden light of a tropical sunset is reflected in the warm waters of The Maldives.

As I enjoyed the setting sun with the water lapping around my feet I made a series of images that I later combined into a single image.

My process is to use a digital brush to reveal and hide sections of multiple layers to recreate, in one frame, how my surroundings affected my senses and creativity.

Museum quality, archival print on cotton rag paper

More about the prints, framing and free shipping

Also available as

Canvas | Metal | Framed Prints

Abstract Photography by Paul Foley

Salman Alhajri - Omani Artist

• Visual artist, graphic designer and researcher in the field of visual arts

• Born in 1978

• Assistant Professor of Art and Graphic Design, Department of Art Education at Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat, Oman

Academic Qualifications:

• 2013 PhD in art and graphic design Education from Loughborough University, UK

• 2005 Master of Design from the University of Technology, Sydney, Australia

• 2001 Bachelor of  Education (Art Education) Department of Art Education, Sultan Qaboos University

The most recognized awards:

• December 2017- won the 1st award in the 12th annual exhibition of Arabic Calligraphy and Script Calligraphy, of Omani Society of Fine Arts.

• November 2016- won the 2nd award in the 1st annual exhibition Graphic Design of Omani Society of Fine Arts.

October 2016- won the jury award in the 24th annual exhibition of Omani Society of Fine Arts.

• October 2015 won the prize of the committee in a piece of artwork in the field of graphic design, in the ninth exhibition of small artworks in the Omani Society of Fine Arts.

• 2014– Bronze A' Design Award Winner for Arts, Crafts and Ready-Made Design Category in 2013-2014, Italy.

• 2013 – Won the First Graphic Design Award in the 8th Calligraphy & Script Calligraphy Annual Exhibition 2013.

• 2013 – Won the First Prize in the graphic design division of the Small Artwork Exhibition competition, Omani Society for Fine Arts.

• 2009 – Won a competition as a finalist in the 14th International Biennial Print Exhibition, ROC, organised by National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts.

• 2009 – Won a competition as a finalist in the International Aesthetica Creative Works Competition Art Category, organised by Aesthetica Magazine, UK.

• 2008 – Won a competition for best research poster on the Creative Interdisciplinarity in Art & Design Research Conference, Loughborough University, UK.

• 2008 – madalya of participating at the 21st Annual Festival of Plastic Art (Mahras) Tunisia.

• 2000 – 1st Prize at the 13th Gathering of Arabic Scout Rovers in Kuwait.

• Many of participating and appreciations certificates from different Omani institutions.

Local exhibitions

• 1 Feb - 15 March, display 11 of my original artworks at Bastah Majan Coffee Shop, Muscat.

• 6-13 December,  the 12th annual exhibition of Arabic Calligraphy and Script Calligraphy, of Omani Society of Fine Arts.

• 20 November - 20 January, 2018 the 25th Annual Grand Art Exhibition of OSFA, The Omani National museum.  

• 2017 – October 23rd to 25th, Group Exhibition of International Conference: Urban Primacy and Traditional Urban Fabric in Sultanate of Oman, Sultan Qaboos University, Oman.

• 2017 – August 06th - 10th, The 4rd Solo Exhibition "Digital Arts" at SALALAH TOURISM FESTIVAL, Salalah, Dhofar Governorate, Oman.

• 2017 – July 24th - 26th, group Art Exhibition, Paint for peace’ , Oman International Exhibition Centre of Sohar, 2017, Oman.

• 2017 – February, group Art Exhibition, Irtiqa’ , Muscat Festival 2017, Oman.

• 2016 – December, group Art Exhibition, Leqa’ , Tunisian  Embassy In Muscat, Oman.

• 2016 –The 1st annual exhibition of Graphic Design of OSFA.

• 2016 – November, The 24th Annual Exhibition of OSFA, Muscat

• 2016 – November, group Art Exhibition, Draw for Peace, India Embassy In Muscat, Oman.

• 2016 – November, group Art Exhibition, Islam and the world, Sultan Qaboos Higher Centre for Culture and Science

• 2016 – September,The 11th Annual Arabic Calligraphy Exhibition 2016, (OSFA), Muscat.

• 2016 – May, The 2nd solo exhibition of Salman Alhajri (Closer to the Dream) Bait Al Zubair, Muscat.

• 2016 – March, group Art Exhibition, modern arts salon, Cultural Club, Muscat.

• 2015 – 9th Small Artworks Exhibition (OSFA), Muscat.

• 2015 – September, The 2nd solo exhibition of Salman Alhajri, Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat.

• 2014 – November, The 22nd Annual Exhibition of OSFA, Muscat.

• 2014 – The 8th Small Artworks Exhibition (OSFA), Muscat, from 21 to 27 Oct.

• 2013 – The 17th Youth Exhibition of fine arts, (OSFA), Muscat.

• 2013 – The 8th Calligraphy & Script Calligraphy Annual Exhibition 2013, (OSFA), Muscat.

• 2013 – Small Artworks Exhibition (OSFA), Muscat.

• 2013 – Group exhibition (Majan), The Cultural Club, Muscat.

• 2012 – Wall Painting 2012 of Ghalya’s Musem of Modern Art, Matrah, Muscat.

• 2008 – The 3rd Annual Exhibition of Arabic Calligraphy (OSFA).

• 2006 – The 10th Annual Youth Exhibition (Ibda'a Wa'ed) (OSFA).        

• 2006 – The 1st Annual Exhibition of Arabic Calligraphy (OSFA).

• 2006 – Group Exhibition of Art Education Teachers, Al Mudaybi, Ash Sharqiyah North Governorate.

• 2000 – The art exhibition associated with The Celebration of the First Visit of His Majesty to Sultan Qaboos University.

• 2000 – Group exhibition, 'Lineaments from Omani nature', Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat, The 6th Salalah Festival, Salalah, Oman.

• 2000 – Group exhibition associated with the 4th and 5th Annual Muscat Book Fairs.

• 1997 – Group exhibition, Ibra Technical College, Ibra.

• 1996 – The 9th Annual Exhibition of Omani Artists, Sur.

• 1996 – Group of Artists Exhibition, Ash Sharqiyah Governorate (Ibra, Sur, Jaalan).

• 1994 – The 1st Exhibition of Bidiya’s Artists, Bidiya Sports and Cultural Club.

International participation:

• 21 of June Until 21st of August 2019, participated at a group art exhibition entitled "Mid-Summer Night's Dream" Fete, at Amsterdam Whitney Gallery, Chelsea, New York, USA.

• 04- 21 March, 2019, The Solo exhibition, "Spirits of Letters", on the 4th of March 2019, at the Cultural Village Foundation - Building 19, Hall 1, Katara, Doha, Qatar.

• 19th January, 2019, 5th Koonoz Fine Art Auction and Exhibition,  Bvlgari Hotel, manged by Sotheby's Auction, London 2019, under the patronage of Sheikha Rabaa Khalid Al Ahmed Al Sabah.

• 16- 21 January, 2019, The Solo exhibition, "The Village" as part of The 25th Anniversary of Qurain Cultural Festival, 2018 organised by Kuwait's National Council for Culture, Arts and Letters (NCCAL) Ahmed Al-Adwani exhibition hall in Dahiat Abdullah Al-Salem, Kuwait.

• 19- 21 October, 2018, Art Shopping 2018 (Edition 23) (Carrousel Du Louvre) with The Zee Arts Gallery, Dubai.

• 9- 15 January 2018, The 7th Annual Art Exhibition titled: "Horse & Desert Heritage", Al Najma Club, Bahrain.

• 6-13 December, 2017 participated with 10 artworks in the Art exhibition that associated with the art and design event, "Layers", College of Arts, University of Bahrain.

• 23 November 2017, participated with 4 digital (printed) in the occasion of the 47th celebration of National Day at the Omani Council in Australia.  

• Konoos Fine Art, Auction & Exhibition, At Lanes borough Hotel, 28 of September 2017, operated by Bonhams.

• The 3rd Solo Exhibition "Shores of The Dreams" at Sultan Bin Ali Al Owais Foundation, Dubai, between 26th of April to 12 of May 2017.

• Many international exhibitions, workshops and seminars in: Algeria, Brunei, Iran, London, Kuwait, Dubai, Tunisia and Sydney.

Art schools and the fine art trends:

• Art field: free drawing, digital painting, oil painting, graphic design, photography.

• Trends: calligraphy, realism, expressive art, influential art, surrealism, abstract, and constructive.

• Themes: landscape, Omani historical motives  , the Omani environment, calligraphy, humanity issues, portraits and calligraphy.  

• Raw materials and tools used: Acrylic colors, silk screen printing, computer and graphics programs, printers, tablets, smartphones, and various materials.

For more details on our products and services, please feel free to visit us at Calligraphy art, Salman Alhajri, Omani Artist, Arabic Calligraphy, Arts for sale

Dacchi Dang, Et in Arcadia Ego, 2017, installation with wax, photographs, bamboo leaves, commissioned by 4A Centre for Contemporary Asian Art. An Omen Near and Far.

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SYDNEY. 9 JUNE – 30 JULY 2017.

Dacchi Dang: An Omen Near and Far is the first survey exhibition of one of the preeminent Vietnamese-Australian artists working today. Presenting a selection of works spanning three decades by a founding artist member of 4A Centre for Contemporary Asian Art, Dacchi Dang is principally concerned with articulating the complex nature of diasporic experience and an ongoing redefinition of ideas of place and of home. With a focus on the artist’s work across photography, printmaking, video and installation, An Omen Near and Far signals the central importance of art in coming to terms with the contingencies of the past and of the present.Born in Saigon and having experienced the latter years of the Vietnam War before fleeing his homeland on a boat to be eventually accepted as a refugee in Australia, Dacchi Dang’s life and art is deeply informed by this trauma, loss and an ongoing search for belonging. An Omen Near and Far unveils a new installation work commissioned by 4A that employs photography and wax that burns and melts over the duration of the exhibition. Informed by a recent 2017 trip to Vietnam, this new work is conceptually connected to an earlier, ephemeral sculpture and performance originally staged as Upstairs/downstairs at Sydney’s National Art School in 1994. This latter work – ghostly documentation of which is included in the survey – saw Dang burn a wax sculpture imprinted with photographic imagery recorded by the artist in Vietnam in that same year, his first visit to his country of birth since arriving in Australia in 1982.Dacchi Dang’s dislocating experience of returning to Cholon, Saigon’s Chinese district and where he grew up, and extended family members in Bến Tre province in the Mekong Delta, prompted him to photograph the people and landscapes of Vietnam voraciously. Having shot over 100 rolls of black-and-white film on his Hasselblad, Dang’s photographic archive of daily life in urban and rural Vietnam documents a time concurrent with the momentous historic occasion of the lifting of the trade embargo between the U.S. and the Republic of Vietnam that had been in place since the end of military conflict in 1975. Dang’s source imagery – now a time capsule of the developing nation in flux– resulted in a highly productive period of experimentation. Spectacle I (1996) and Spectacle II (1996), a suite of monochromatic photogravure prints and their corresponding gold plates, present intimate portraits of ordinary Vietnamese and montaged street scenes tempered by an uneasy balance between empathy and distance.In addition to series of works over the past decades that explore landscapes as colonised and contested forms of cultural memory, from Paris to Peel Island in Queensland’s Moreton Bay, An Omen Near and Far offers a selection of historical material from the archives of both the artist and 4A: photographic proof sheets, exhibition ephemera, reviews, interviews and critical texts. This includes documentation of Dang’s seminal solo exhibition, The Boat, presented at 4A in 2001, a milestone in the development of wider public reception and understanding of art from Asian-Australian perspectives. The Boat garnered strong community responses, opening up dialogue by addressing the profound perils of seeking asylum while prompting a critical consideration of Australia’s changing treatment of refugees.Accompanying the exhibition, 4A will host a panel discussion that will offer insights into the historical research and creative development currently being undertaken by Dacchi Dang for the Australian War Memorial’s Gillespie Bequest commission of a new body of work due for completion over 2017–2018. Exploring the experiences of Australian and Vietnamese–Australians military veterans of the Vietnam War, and engaging with the Memorial’s extensive collection and archives, Dang’s commission represents the first such instance to form part of the national institution’s art collection.

—

Dacchi Dang (b. Saigon, Vietnam, 1966) is an artist who lives and works in Sydney. He is a founding artist member of 4A Centre for Contemporary Asian Art. Dang was born to a Chinese father and Vietnamese mother, and at the age of sixteen fled Vietnam with his brother and sister on a fishing boat. After a traumatic sea voyage the boat arrived on Malaysian shores where Dang was transported to the refugee camp of Pulau Bidong. Following nine months at the camp, he was transported to Kuala Lumpur where he was accepted as a Vietnamese refugee by Australia in late 1982.

Dacchi Dang works primarily with photography and printmaking, in various forms and processes, and also video and installation. His work has been exhibited in Australia and internationally since the early 1990s. Solo exhibitions include Full Circle (2009), Metro Arts Gallery, Brisbane; Liminal (2006-2008), Horsham Regional Art Gallery, Victoria; Centre for Contemporary Photography, Melbourne; and 4A Centre for Contemporary Asian Art, Sydney; Spectacle I (1996), Firstdraft Gallery, Sydney; Spectacle II, Stills Gallery, Sydney. Group exhibitions include DDESSIN [14] (2014), Paris Contemporary Drawing Fair, Atelier Richelieu; Crossing Boundaries (2014), Sydney Town Hall; Edge of Elsewhere (2010-2012), 4A Centre for Contemporary Asian Art and Campbelltown Arts Centre, Sydney; Planet Ueno (2008); Taito Community Museum, Tokyo; Re-StArt (2008), 733 Art Factory, Chengdu; and News From Islands (2007), Campbelltown Arts Centre, Sydney.

He graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts (1991) and a Master of Arts (1996) from the College of Fine Arts, University of New South Wales, Sydney; Graduate Diploma in Archives and Records Management (2000) and Graduate Certificate of Applied Science in Cultural Heritage Studies specialising in Photography (2003) from University of Canberra; and a Doctor of Philosophy (Fine Arts) from Queensland College of the Arts, Griffith University, Brisbane (2013). Dang has undertaken numerous artist in residence programs including at Bundanon Trust (2001), Hill End (2001); Cité Internationale des Arts, Paris (2003) and Tokyo University of the Arts Geidai (2008). His work is held in public and private collections in Australia, France, China and Hong Kong. Over 2015-2018 Dang is producing new works commissioned by the Australian War Memorial Gillespie Bequest that explore the wartime experience of Vietnamese–Australians and its legacy today.

Leila Jeffreys’ QBE MUSE @ Taronga Zoo Exhibition

Leila Jeffreys’ QBE MUSE @ Taronga Zoo Exhibition

Creative People

by Elle Murrell

Leila Jeffreys’ art photograph, Sooty Owl. Those eyes!! Photo – Leila Jeffreys and courtesy of Taronga Zoo.

Nicobar Pidgeon. The exhibition was born out of shared admiration for the conservation of Australia’s birds and their natural environment. Photo – Leila Jeffreys.

Rainbow Bee-eater. ‘Leila’s art will help connect or reconnect our Zoo guests with birds and create advocates for their conservation,’ says Elle Bombonato of Taronga Zoo. Photo – Leila Jeffreys.

Leila’s photographs share the details that the everyday person would not see with the naked eye; ‘the finely tuned structure of a feather, intricate patterns, variation of colours, the setting of an eye and the design of a beak as a tool for survival,’ describes Elle. Photo – Guy Dixon.

‘QBE MUSE @ Taronga’ will help raise awareness of some very unique, specialised and critically endangered species such as the Regent Honeyeater (pictured) and the Plains-wanderer. Photo – Leila Jeffreys.

Splendid Fairy Wren. ‘To share this amazing art through Leila’s life size images, carefully placed within Taronga’s natural landscape, is an opportunity that people shouldn’t miss,’ invites Elle. Photo – Leila Jeffreys.

QBE Muse @ Taronga will become an annual outdoor arts event. ‘We want to ensure guests appreciate that these elusive species are often around us, yet people rarely set eyes on their intricate beauty,’ says Elle. ‘Art has an amazing ability to engage the world and change the world.’ Photo – Guy Dixon.

Fenrick Black Kite, which can be witnessed in the zoo’s Free Flight Show. Photo – Leila Jeffreys.

Art photographer and activist Leila Jeffreys pictured with Ivy. Photo – Bo Wong.

This week, photographic artist Leila Jeffreys unveiled her first public, outdoor photography exhibition. In distinctly different surrounds to her last showcase, opening in New York in October (it runs until November 12th!), Leila’s ‘QBE MUSE @ Taronga’ presents 10 of her spectacular bird portraits, on two-metres high canvases set among the lush ‘habitats’ of Sydney’s Taronga Zoo. ‘The larger the bird, the smaller we become… I like that,’ says Leila. ‘Let’s flip the world over and let them dominate us for a change!’

The artist was contacted by Elle Bombonato, manager of the Animal Presentation Precinct at the Zoo’s Wildlife, Conservation and Science department, to work on an experience to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Zoo’s QBE Free Flight Bird Show, and the pair immediately clicked. ‘I get so excited when I meet people that are passionate about wildlife, and the staff at Taronga have a dedication that is second to none,’ says Leila. ‘It was an exciting experience for me as I got to go behind the scenes to see some of the conservation programs they are running; I fed off that energy and the fact that we all just wanted to do something special together for the birds.’

Elle believes Leila’s 10 artful images will change the way we view birds forever, and hopes the works will encourage meaningful conversation about nature and wildlife conservation. ‘There are so many ways a camera can extend our ability to perceive the world,’ he explains. ‘Leila’s art leaves us with a legacy for future generations and captures an important moment that helps us celebrate and appreciate these incredible species.’ 

‘QBE MUSE @ Taronga’ champions avian beauty and diversity, with Leila including critically endangered species, such as the Regent Honeyeater and Plains-wanderer. Several of the actual birds are Taronga Zoo residents and were photographed on site, while the vast majority of all the species included can be found at the zoo, and the majestic Black Kite can even be witnessed in a Free Flight Show.

The photographer and environmentalist encourages people to view her portraits and then seek out the birds for a real-life encounter. ‘We mostly live in such urban areas and we’re losing our connection to wildlife,’ tells Leila. ‘This is a combination of art and conservation, which I hope helps us all connect with these exquisite beauties. Australia has incredible birds, and Taronga Zoo is a conservation leader.’

‘QBE MUSE @ Taronga’ by Leila Jeffreys November 1st to 30th Taronga Zoo, Sydney

Leila Jeffreys is represented by Olsen Gallery in Sydney. You can find out more about her work on her website, here, and her book ‘Birdland’ is available at the Taronga gift shop or through any good online book outlets.

Every two years Taronga awards funding to projects and programs that demonstrate conservation outcomes. Some of these projects have helped regenerate habitats, stop poaching and trafficking of wildlife and reduce conflict between communities across the globe. If you would like to make a donation in support of these vital efforts, please visit the website, here.

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