free radical notes #85

This is a past edition of free radical notes.
Your editoral input, haikus, exhibition notices, classified ads etc are all welcome. Send us an email if you have some content.

Real Secretion Fad # 85 16/2/07

[dog] Haiku stuff

I lie belly up
In the sunshine happier than
you will ever be

Galeria Bezdomna stuff

Edition #46 closed its doors last Sunday after a n 8 day run as part of the 2007 St Kilda Festival. Forty participants showed around 250 images at 5 different spaces across St Kilda as well as a program of projections in a shipping container down on the St Kilda foreshore.

Next chance to participate in an Australian edition of the gallery will be at Daylesford in June. Hanging day will be Saturday June 2nd at the Mill Markets, 105 Central Springs Rd Daylesford. Turn up on the day with your works and your tool kit and improvise your own exhibition. If you get there and all the space is taken - then it s too bad - you ll have to wait for the next edition - which will be who knows when at who knows where. For more info on the concept of the Galeria Bezdomna go to www.galeriabezdomna.art.pl More specific info regarding the Daylesford edition will also be posted there closer to the date. To get your name on the contact list, send an email to luszpinski (at) bigpond.com with "gb@dfb07" in the subject line

new members stuff

Lean month for new members. I have badges waiting, and they are all pining for a breast to get close to. Flick this on to someone you know who is not already a badge holder and see if we can get a few more envelopes in the free radical World HQ letterbox.

Happening stuff

STEPHEN DUPONT - Meet the Photographer at the Monash Galleryof Art

Date: Friday 2 MarchTime: 7:00pm for 7:30pm
Cost: $5 Friends of MGA $5 Free radicals $7 General admission (includes finger food and glass of wine) Bookings essential: ph 9562 1569 [don’t forget your fr badge for reduced admission!] Stephen Dupont is an award winning photo-journalist and documentary filmmaker, this year picking up the prestigious Walkley Award for his work ’Brothers of Kabul’ on ABC TV. Stephen will talk about his MGA exhibition FIGHT, and his current project  Generation AK about life under the rule of the gun in Afghanistan. At the MGA Cnr Jells and Ferntree Gully Rds Wheelers Hill.

[These MGA floor talks are a great way to expand on the exhibition viewing experience with a chance to get up close and personal with the artist and find out some background on the who, what, why and where of the pictures. Make sure that these sessions continue by giving your support. ed]

Unless you have been living under a mushroom for the past few months, you would be well aware that the PMA Imaging Technology Expo is just around the corner, but just in case you are a mushroom dweller, the PMA show is at the Melbourne Exhibition Centre [Jeff's Shed] May 4,5 & 6. And along with the huge trade show [a great chance to see what you have to upgrade to because your current digiital stuff - even though it works well - is just about to become obsolete] will be a coming together of free radicals from all over the country at the judging of the AIPP national awards. Stick the dates in your diary.

free radical flickr stuff

Free Radical Flicker Ahoy!
In the spirit of Free Radical I've set up a Flickr site. Flickr is an on line photo sharing site where you can upload and comment on yours and others photos. As part of this, a dedicated Free Radical group has been created. At the moment you can post 5 images per week into the pool, the whole idea is to share, enjoy, get inspired and enjoy each others photography, and you might get some good feedback about it too. Post what ever you like, and equally important check out what others have put online. So head to http://www.flickr.com and set up an account, once you have done that, head to http://www.flickr.com/groups/freeradical/ and click on the join this group link, you will have to leave a message letting us know who you are and your free radical member number. From there you will be added into the group. All good! any questions, email me photobat (at) photobat.net Alan Moyle AKA Wombat fr#256

[last time I looked 15 free rads had joined the group. It costs nothing to belong, and uploading your pics is a relatively straight forward process. Check it out and join the crew! ed]

other stuff

More suggested baby name s for expectant photographers [analogue]

Max as in Dmax
Min as in Dmin

editorial stuff

It's reassuring from time to time when I speak with someone on the mailing list and they comment on some one or something that they read about in the notes. It's reassuring that it's not a complete waste of time [not that I have ever found that to be a valid reason for not doing something! ]
I continue to resist following the flock and move to a slicker visual format - you know the one - where you get all these grid layouts with coloured boxes and little blue squares with question marks in them?!!
And I guess, without the visual stimulation of colour and movement, then it makes the recipient work a little bit harder to grasp the communication, and unfortunately it seems that comprehension of the English language vis a vis reading and writing skills is no longer a prerequisite for a university degree. Don't worry about the detail. Forget the nuances, just give it to me in bullet points, and just the key stuff - CUL8R
So, for as long as I have control of the editorial quill, the notes will remain as a text format, sans the bells and whistles of the competition.

And to that end, if you want something published to an audience of around 1000 photographers [mind you I haven't done a survey to see how many have the prerequisite skills to digest the notes in total] then the preference is to have the information as unformatted text in the body of an email - no attachments, no pdf's, no fancy text, mixed fonts or point sizes. Keep it simple and just give me the facts.
Also on a grumpy old men tack. Spent last Sunday down at the St Kilda Festival - well part of Sunday at least. One hour to cover the first 100Kms of the journey - 2 hours to cover the last 5 kms. What with all the gazetted street closures plus the ungazetted ones while the SES removed trees which had blown across parked cars, and then finding a parking spot within 2 suburbs of St Kilda without short odds returning after the festivities to find the vehicle being hugged by an aforementioned tree. What struck me about the St Kilda Festival was the literally tens of thousands of people grooving on the colour sound and movement [and alcohol] because it struck me that there wasn t much more than that - just a huge crowd of festival goers getting pissed and indulging in the process of looking at and/or being looked at. Mind you the crowds were good natured - didn t see any brawls or altercations, but it struck me how superficial it all seemed. Get pissed. See a free band. Wave ya hands in the air = highlight of the month!
I could go on, but as they say in the cowboy movies, "tempus fugit et nunquam revertitur"

2006 the year that was stuff

If I could find the membership sheets amongst all the piles of paper that are taking over the office floor I could tell you exactly how many new members joined free radical in 2006. The file is not in the fr members folder in the filing cabinet, so it must be on the floor somewhere [my filing system is reasonably sophisticated - unfortunately my retrieval system is not as well developed!!] but from memory we added only around twenty new free rads over the past 12 months. We also didn t have any formal meetings save a couple of gallery crawls early in the year, and if there are not many new members and no meetings our cash flow is minimal, and hence there is not a whole lot in the piggy bank to put back into worthy photographic causes. Our only sponsorship donation went to the SiteUnseen Fujifilm student Collection 07 to support the ongoing efforts of what has now become a national photography student competition. Free radical membership now stands at a creditable 671 members, and I hope still plays some small part in the overall fabric of photography, and offers an outlet for a more alternative - can we even say "anarchic voice" - about some of the issues that affect photographers and photographic art.

call for entry stuff

Head on Alternative Portraits invites photographers to submit works to the 2007 photographic portrait competition.Prizes will be awarded for the best 3 images. Prizes include state of the art digital SLR Canon 5D (x2) plus a lens each, Canon professional A3+ printer Pixma Pro9000, ACDSee Pro Digital Asset Management software (x3) and books from Focal Press. Total value of prizes is about $14000.
Head On finalists will be exhibited at the Australian Centre for Photography, Sydney between 19 April and 25 May 2007 and then at the Daylesford Biennale, Victoria.
Head On has established itself as a leading national photographic portrait competition.?t is an annual?ompetition and exhibition, representing a vibrant and diverse cross-section of new and traditional photographic practices.Head On was founded and is managed by photographers ensuring entries are judged on photographic merit.?articipating photographers retain both moral rights and copyright in their work. Information and entry form can be found at http://www.headon.com.au
Deadline for submissions is 16th March 2007

Glorious Trees
Expressions of interest are invited for participation in Glorious Trees Showing for two weeks from Friday, March 9 and culminating in participation in the Warrandyte festival on March 24 & 25 Glorious Trees is to be an exhibition of 2D works in any medium and recycled wood sculptures. It will celebrate and honour trees and our connection and reliance upon them.The focus will be on trees and wood rather than landscapes that may happen to feature trees. It will run in conjunction with Warrandyte Festival and will be promoted as a festival event.Expressions of interest to be submitted by March 2
ArtStreams Gallery & Print Room 63 Yarra Street, Warrandyte 3113 (Cnr Police Street, formerly Forbes Street), 9844 0248 more info from peterd (at) connexus.net.au

Kerala Gallery is looking for photographers to submit black and white artistic figure photography. Black & white (nude) is an exhibition of photographic art. images created via any form of photography will be accepted for consideration (i.e. shot on film, shot digitally, unaltered shots, digital manipulations, montages,etc.), providing the image is black and white and incorporates whole or part of the human form.
The entry process is very easy. Simply download and fill out the registration form from keralagallery.com.au and email your images as JPEG files to keralagallery@iprimus.com.au

You be the judge stuff

Whilst on the subject of HeadOn, two years ago we had a free radical people s choice section for the Citigroup Portrait Prize - it may well have been the reason why they never published all the shortlisted images from the last prize on the AGNSW website. Anyhow. I would like to instigate a free radical judging of the images that made the Headon 2006. They are all up on the HeadOn website www.headon.com.au Scroll through the images and make your choice as to which image you think should have won HeadOn 2006. Be decisive - choose one image only, and send an email to free radicaloz [at] gmail.com with the author name of your pick in the subject line. I don t need a critique on the whys and wherefores - just the name of the author - you don t even have to write anything in the body of the email, although if you would like to write an editorial piece for a future edition of the notes you are more than welcome to do so. After we have a considerable number of votes I will tally the results and we will see if free radical consensus matches that of the 2006 HeadOn judges

workshop stuff

21 workshops are on offer as part of the Daylesford Foto Biennale Workshop Program. Included are alternative processes from Trevor Foon [fr#88], Wendy Currie, Christine Lim, Silvi Glattauer [fr#391], Lynette Zeeng [fr#10], Julie Millowick and Bob Kersey. Les Walkling presents 3 of his acclaimed digital workshops. Also on offer are photo doc sessions with Andrew Chapman [fr#449] and Mathias Heng [fr#?], landscapes with Richard White [fr#99], large and ultra large formats with Dave Roberts, pinholes with Anthony Browell [fr#?] and sessions examining the aesthetics of image making with Lloyd Godman and Wayne Cosshall plus the digital fine print with Brian Gilkes [fr#326]. Most of these workshops have been subsidised by the DFB and the presenters themselves [because they want to be part of the Daylesford experience] and are offered at much cheaper rates than you would pay independently. Places at all workshops are limited so be quick to book your spot. Full details are available from the Workshop Program page at www.daylesfordfotobiennale.org

Foto intro, Foto go NZ and Foto fun 4 kids workshops happening early 2007. Details from Chris Gleisner [fr#318] at www.fotoworkshops.biz

Kerala Art Gallery is host to many art and photography workshops aimed at people of all levels...
Pinhole photography with Simon Watts [fr# 65] Make you own pinhole camera and take a photo on world pinhole day Workshop dates: Sunday April 15 & May 13 For more information regarding the pinhole workshop and other workshops contact the gallery on 9482 3543.

more happening stuff

Large format users 4x5 and beyond :

The Gathering is a DFB 07 Affiliate Program event happening 2nd & 3rd June 2007
The Gathering is a way of meeting like-minded photographers who enjoy working in large format and have an interest in sharing and learning while having some fun. This may result in structuring a formal group for large format users
Enjoy one day or both which ever fits your schedule
2 Day Registration fee $50.00 (includes lunch & morning teas)
1 day Registration fee?$25.00 (includes lunch & morning teas)
Discussions will lead by a panel so there is a semi formal structure. Includes issues like film, paper, the collecting of photography and exhibiting.
The panel: Richard White [fr#99], David Tatnall, Gordon Undy, Ray Strong, and David Roberts.
For those interested there is an opportunity to take part in an exhibition. Photographs of Trentham Village to be exhibited at the local Pig & Whistle Hotel?osupport the local community and DFB. There is a cost to exhibit (covering film processing, printing, matting and framing) but this may be minimal depending on the sponsorship. Registration details http://www.goldstreetstudios.com.au/The%20Gathering.htm

Daylesford Foto Biennale stuff

Still a chance to have a show at DFB 07. There are still around 20 odd venues looking to host a show. [most are in the satellite towns and small hamlets in the Hepburn Shire, but no matter wher your show goes, you will get an audience!] The list of still available spaces is on the Venue Finder Page at the website www.daylesfordfotobiennale with details for who you need to contact. Please note:
Use of exhibition venues for DFB 07 is by agreement between the artist and the venue. There is also a requirement of paperwork to be completed. The DFB does not offer a wet nurse service. If you can t read, or don t have the energy to organise your own venue and show, then either get your mum to do it for you, or save yourself, and the DFB committee, some time and forget it. [but still visit between June 2nd and July 1st and feel really good about how much better your work would have looked as part of the program if you had been able to get it together!]

Known-Identity Exhibition

 This Years Daylesford Foto Biennale is planning to feature a unique exhibition, Known-Identity .
The purpose of the show is to help raise the awareness of the Biennale and also let people know that the DFB is in more locations than just Daylesford. The show is one of just 20 selected for the DFB'07 Main Program, and will be featured in the prestigious Main Program catalogue.
Set in the historical and beautiful Clunes Shire Hall, this show is to be one of the highlights of the Biennale.
For, KNOWN , we will be seeking submissions from photographers of people that are known to a wide mass of people. Whilst we are looking at The Usual Suspects, actors, musicians, comedians etc, we are also keen to get people from all walks of life. Send us those portraits of Painters to Politicians, Scientists to Sporting Identities, Colourful people to Caricaturists. ?We are especially after images that have not been widely seen. Most photographers that we know have images tucked away that were never published, or personal projects. Now is the time to dust off the negs and set them free!
Send me image submissions by email. Approx 25cm X 35cm @ 72dpi adobe RGB and embed your copyright and caption info into the file via Photoshop File/File Info (ITPC).
Participating Photographers will need to be willing to include a framed print that will become part of a silent auction. The proceeds from the auction will go towards the running costs of the Biennale, which is a massive logistical and financial exercise which runs without any govt or arts funding. Photographers are continuously donating works for all manner of worthy charitable causes. Here is a chance to support an initiative that directly supports and promotes photography.?We suggest that the photographers set a (reasonable) reserve price of cost of printing and framing, which the photographer will be reimbursed if work sells, so that they are not out of pocket. And if the work doesn't sell they get it back. Final Framed prints (Specifications to come later) will be required around early May 07.
Send digital files to Andrew at bigcheez (at) vicnet.net.au to be considered for inclusion. And don t forget to put your contact details with your email, Cheers Andrew Chapman fr#449 (03) 9752 1492 and David Marks fr#384 (03) 9481 3795 damphoto (at) alphalink.com.au

exhibition stuff

I can't list it if I don't know about it - free radicals are scattered all over the country, so am happy to list your show be it in Melbourne, Darwin, Hobart or wherever, send the details to free radicaloz [at] gmail.com Include details of opening and closing dates, gallery address, opening hours, and if you like, a brief synopsis of the show.
Send information as text only, preferably pasted into the body of an email and not as an attachment. Sometimes it s 4 - 6 weeks between editions of the notes, so if you want to be sure of getting a listing, get your details in early.

6 Degrees of Separation a 3D exhibition by Jeph Ko & Richard Kendall. Show current to March 1st at Brunswick Street Gallery, level 2 322 Brunswick st Fitzroy. opp Bar Open. more info 0419 390 478


Campaign by Andrew Chapman. Photographs from Federal Election Campaigns 1971 - 2004. Old Parliament House, Canberra February 15th - April 15th 2007 details from http://www.oph.gov.au/exhibitions.asp or www.bigcheez.com.au

Click 'N' Flow photography presents Jazz, Dance & DJ
a photography exhibition by Gustavo Reyes Current to 4 March 2007 at Steps Gallery 62 Lygon Street, Carlton 3053 more info from 0406 783 934

Light Leaks
pinhole and toy camera group exhibition Opening night Thursday 22nd February Exhibition runs 23rd Feb - 8th March at Kerala Gallery 283 High St Northcote 3070. Details 9482 3543

Beyond Anything is..
group show of contemporary photoghraphy inspired by Ern Malley at Span Galleries, 45 Flinders lane Melbourne. Show current to Feb 24th. Gallery hours Tue - Fri 11 -5, Sat 11 - 4

After Image: Social Documentary Photography in the 20th Century
Current to 1 April 2007 After Image: Social documentary photography brings together a selection of thirty-eight images by American, Australian, British, European and South African photographers active from the 1870s to the early 1980s. Each of the photographs presented in this exhibition possess a memorable quality, something thought-provoking that lingers in our consciousness. at NGV International, 180 St Kilda Road (Photography Gallery, Level 3) Entry Via the waterwall entrance

Fight by Stephen Dupont. Show dates March 1st to April 29th. Exhibition launch by Robert McFarlane Saturday March 3rd at 3 pm at the Monash Gallery of Art Corner Jells & Ferntree Gully Roads, Wheelers Hill Victoria 3150 Tel: 03 9562 1569 Email: mga@monash.vic.gov.au Web: www.mga.org.au
Open: Tue-Fri: 10-5pm, Sat-Sun: 12-5pm, Mon & public holidays: closed. Gallery, gift shop, licensed cafe and sculpture park Now FREE ADMISSION

plus

Edgewood:Ariel Photographs of New Suburbia by Andrew Merry, Iminal by Dacchi Dang, New Work - Expanded and Compressed - Group show, If....So...Then by Gabriella and Silvana Mangano and Australia by William Anderson in the projection window are all at the CCP, 404 George St Fitzroy. All Shows current to March 10 2007. Gallery Hours Wednesday Saturday, 11am - 6pm Projection Window 7 nights a week after dark

China: Beyond the Icons by John Tozer [fr#198] at the Chinese Musem, 22 Cohen Place Melbourne.
Show current to Feb28 2007.
It is tempting to represent a country as vast and diverse as China in terms of grand icons: the endless ribbon of the Great Wall; the vast armies of the Terra Cotta Warriors; or the opulent excesses of Forbidden City. china: beyond the icons reveals lesser known aspects of China: the elderly at peace with a culture now resurrected; the serenity of the temples nurturing faiths long suppressed; and the survival of tradition in the face of inevitable change. china: beyond the icons consists of 40 images by professional photographer John Tozer. John has a great empathy with Asian cultures having lived and worked extensively in the region over the past 20 years.
More info : http://www.chinesemuseum.com.au/whatson_exhibitions.html

classified stuff

FREE [well almost] NEW DARKROOM GEAR
Early last year, I ran a classified in FR notes, wanting to move some darkroom gear, which I'd purchased to fit out a new darkroom that never happened, when I relocated here a couple of years ago. No real interest was shown. I'm well aware of the street value of darkroom stuff these days, one only needs a quick look at Flea-Bay. However, I now need to move it on, and not wanting to merely dump it, I thought someone or a group/club out there still plying the silver halide craft may be able to give it a new home. There's a brand new PVC darkroom sink, 600 x 1200 x 150, complete with splash-back panels.
Also a glass-doored film drying cabinet, complete with heaps of weighted film clips. I bought it second-hand from Camera Exchange, but it shows no signs of work and I'm convinced it's never been used.
I'm happy to GIVE THEM AWAY on the proviso that the new owner(s) make what they consider to be an appropriate donation to the FR ice-cream container.
They're located in Cheltenham (SE Melbourne). I'd obviously give preference to someone that can use both items. Please call anytime between 7.30 am and 6.30 pm, Mon-Fri.
John Kirby, FR#224. (03) 9584 2331.

end stuff

feeling neglected because of lack of information on events happening in your neck of the woods?
I can't include it if i don't know about it!! Any editorial content, exhibition notices, classifieds etc. to free radicaloz [at] gmail.com
Lost your badge and forgotten your number? Check out the members page!
...and if you would like a link to your website from our links page, send me the details - obviously we wouldn't say no to a reciprocal link!
Too busy to find time to read the notes? not happy with the left leaning Luddite editor?
Simple reply with unsubscribe in the subject field and your details will be smitten from the address book - no questions asked.