Six years ago, photographer Pia Johnson moved to the regional town of Woodend within the Macedon Ranges Australia). For her latest exhibition Cusp opening on 9 March 2019 at Stockroom Kyneton, Johnson has created a series that explores the natural landscape around her home and regional Victoria.
The majority of the exhibition is made up of photographs taken in regional Victoria, many between Melbourne and Woodend. These images reflect the dynamics of movement, elements of the weather, the road and ever-shifting countryside. Interspersed throughout the landscapes are images of young teenager Maela, whose strong gaze and place within the landscape raise questions about growing up within the regional environment.
‘After living in the country for a few years, you start to see the subtle changes, note times of the year when shifts occur, and so I began photographing these movements and journeys,’ Johnson explains, ‘it was natural to then think about what life would be like growing up in a regional town (and with the landscape around you) which led to photographing Maela.’
Cusp is Johnson’s third solo exhibition at Stockroom Kyneton, including The Widening Gyre (2016) and Finding Yourself at Home Alone (2013). Known for her widely published theatre production photographs and her artistic works on cross-cultural identity, Johnson was recently a finalist in the Perth Centre of Photography Iris Award and exhibited in the national touring exhibition All We Can’t See, which illustrated the plight of individuals in the Nauru detention centre. Collected in various public and private collections, her work has been exhibited across Australia and internationally including the National Gallery of Victoria.
Pia Johnson is a photographer and visual artist that is concerned about identity, belonging and cultural difference. Her work is exhibited widely in Australia and overseas and is collected in numerous private and public collections. She is also known for her widely published theatre and live performance production photographs and portraits.
Pia Johnson: Cusp
9 March – 7 April 2019
STOCKROOM
98 piper street, kyneton, victoria 3444, australia
