With the inception of ‘The Concourse’ Chatswood has become a hub of cultural productivity and creativity. Parallaxis Photographic Group has taken advantage of this communal platform and from March 3rd – 15th you can view their debut Odyssey Photographic Exhibition.
Parralaxis are a group of photographers based in Sydney. They describe their collaboration as a desire to: “Create inspiring and imaginative images based on unique experiences and vision.”
Create inspiring and imaginative images based on unique experiences and vision.
This collaboration has resulted in a beautifully constructed gallery of contrasting images that serve to express each artist’s desire for meaning and communication. They also desire to challenge conceptions of photography and its sociological connotations through their efforts to display: “The difference between the image the mind visualises and that captured by the camera.”
In maintaining the group ethos each photographer provides a short blurb for their motivations behind their images and how each individual ‘Odyssey’ both unites them in their shared medium and delineates the distinction between the personal experience of the mind and emotionless documentation by machine.
These images come from the individual perspectives of each photographer and represent a journey and unique story that embodies the personal relationship that is referred to as the visualisation of the mind. The camera may capture an image but it is these subjective experiences and relationships with the image that cause an image to express meaning.
Take Wendy Atkins for example. Her images capture the activities of people going about their daily lives in Cuba. She aims to preserve these individuals in a visual time capsule that will serve as a reminder for when commercialisation and industrialisation take over the country.
“My images capture people in their natural environment with the aim to preserve them in that instant forever.”
Her photographs endeavour to tell a story of a particular time and place and in doing so also act as important historical documents.
Many of the images in Odyssey are vibrant and capture your attention with their precise composition and striking interplay of colour. Rodney Campbell’s images are digitally altered and in their unique presentation piqued an intense interest although they are among the smallest in the collection.
His portfolio works under the title of ‘Tiny World Series’ and they convey just that. They are images of real world objects turned into planetary shapes. Bridges are morphed and curled and the results are fascinating. Campbell’s description of his work continues to work off the group’s ideals of the differences between what is captured and what the mind visualises in its augmentation.
“The convolution of space and time, real world converted to the surreal world.”
The other collection that intrigued me was Deb Mooney’s dedication to her battle with cancer entitled ‘Resilience’. At first glance this series of rainbow flowers seems pretty and superficial but upon discerning their meaning they become a wonderful metaphor for Deb’s bravery and personal experience.
These seven images represent her beautiful garden of recovery and signify her defeat of the demons that ensnared her mind.
Through the positive connotations of the rainbow colouring and the traits that name each piece; Passion, Harmony, Joy, Nurture, Strength, Individuality and Serenity a real sense of connection to Mooney as an artist is established.
And in saying that, most of the collections in this exhibition facilitate the same feeling. Each artist has poured essences of themselves into their works and the emotions within will resonate with different people.
Odyssey captures the beauty of human existence and our desire to extend, preserve and create. It is a wonderful exhibition and has the ability to transport you to an individual cultural introspection.
And you won’t find a single selfie.
ODYSSEY
Art Space on The Concourse, Chatswood
Email: info@parallaxisgroup.com
Phone: (Deb) 0414 987 665
Exhibition Hours:
Mon-Fri: 11am – 5pm
Sat-Sun: 11 am – 4pm
