
This is the last week of our truly sensational SUMMER exhibition, and today we would like to highlight a striking selection of photography in the show. Works by the photographers Simon Nowicki and Jerry Galea were highlighted in our previous posts. Today, we are looking at works by Tony Jackson, Peter Andrewartha, and Tony Pepper. Each of their photographs examines an aspect of Australian beach life, and, collectively, their works capture the spirit of Australian summer.
Tony Jackson, Summer 2 (no 167, photograph, $250)
Tony Jackson’s photograph takes us to the Eastern Beach Bathing Complex in Corio Bay, Geelong. The inventive camera angle and the image cropping of the diving board, the board walk, and its blue and red markings create crisp geometric patterns. The juxtaposition of the sea and wooden planks produces a textural contrast within the picture. The inclusion of the commemorative plaque in the lower left hand corner of the photograph informs the viewer of Jackson’s interest in conservation and preservation of Australian heritage sites. The photograph is a representative example of the artist’s ability to create a compositionally striking image imbued with a biographical narrative.

Peter Andrewarta’s Shutting Down transports us to Philip Island, the source of inspiration for an important series of works, a number of which are included in our current exhibition. Similarly to Jackson’s work, the image showcases Andrewartha’s masterful handling of the medium. The increased shutter speed instantaneously captures the living, breathing ocean in all its turbulent glory. Within a single shot, Peter relates four different states of the wave – foreground stillness in the foreshore shallows, the turbulent dance of the cascading crest, menacing approach of the rolling surge, and the vaporous mists produced by the off-shore breeze. The expert positioning of the camera angle produces a complex layering of the picture plane within the image.

Tony Pepper’s Zipper was taken at Anglesea, a popular resort on the Great Ocean Road, and captures a local fairground, a traditional and quintessential part of an Australian sea-side town. The gradient blues of the twilight sky increase the saturation intensity of the garishly-coloured decorations. The crisp clarity of the static viewers in the foreground and the brightly-lit Zipper sign in the middle of the composition increase the perception of speed and energy of the spinning wheel. The precarious angle of the ride imbues the image with the sensation of movement.
The exhibition is current until Saturday, 1 February.
View complete exhibition online at http://www.quadrantgallery.com.au/summer-exhibition.html