By Kath Gannaway
YARRA Valley photographers Kim Wormald, Greg Carrick and Joy Phillips, come at their craft from very different perspectives, but fuse them together and you have a collection of works that are not only stunningly beautiful, but innovative, creative and exciting.
‘Fusion – Nature Through the Lens’ opened at Mont De Lancey Historic Homestead in Wandin on Saturday, 12 November.
The artists have taken inspiration from the natural world around them.
Kim is an award-winning, ethical bird photographer, producing pure images of birds in their natural habitat that highlight the detail of their plumage and personalities.
Listed in the International Who’s Who of Nature Photographers, her images have received multiple national and international awards.
“I love the fine detail that can be savoured in high definition images,” Kim said. That detail is exemplified not only in the intricate feather patterns, but in details as fine as a glint in the eye or tiny hairs and a thread of saliva, gleaming in the light, between open beak of an eagle.
Greg’s works are about transforming life photos into evocative memories.
Many have found their genesis in the 2009 bushfires, others draw their inspiration from childhood experiences, such as bathing boxes along the beach.
“It’s about capturing memories, looking back and creating a more one-dimensional work that reflects your memory of a place in time,” Greg said of those particular works.
Joy combines both natural photography and manipulated pieces to create artworks with a story.
A number of the works in the Fusion exhibition are from her Kaleidescope series, creating an abstract image of colour and shape, often the unexpected and delightful product of happenstance.
A photo of a tree branch taken at night becomes ‘Desert Portal’, a mushroom is inspiration for ‘Luminstool’, both evocative pieces with equally evocative and intriguing stories that invite you to create your own story around the images.
All the works are framed and available for sale.
The exhibition runs until Sunday, 11 December, Wednesday to Sunday between 10am and 4pm.
Phone 5964 2088.
Mail journalist/photographer, Kath Gannaway, had the privilege and pleasure of officially opening the exhibition.
