Iconic photojournalist Don McCullin once said that it wasn’t necessary for photographers to travel far from home to find worthwhile documentary stories citing his series of the homeless in the UK as an example. Absence also can allow the discovery of the new when we return and this is true for Australian photographer Lisa Garland who on coming back to her hometown on the northwest coast of Tasmania (Australia) discovered a whole world she never knew existed.
Looking past the obvious Garland discovered those locals who were not part of the social scene, men and women who lived solitary lives comforted by an eclectic gathering of objects collected over years; items that often compensated for the lack of human contact in their lives.
These solitary figures became the focus for Garland’s series of large black and white portraits, which has occupied her for the past 15 years. Garland says “It is my aim to document an experience; an encounter and compress it into a stillness”. Her portraits are rich in detail and invite the viewer to spend time with these eccentric local characters.
EXHIBITION
Lisa Garland
Part of Head On Photo Festival
Until 7 June, 2014
Stills Gallery
36 Gosbell Street
Paddington
Australia
