“The New Photography”, is an exhibition and book of New Zealand’s photographer pioneers of the 1960s and 1970s.
Richard Collins (b.1941)
Richard Collins was born in Wellington In 1941. He was educated at a private school in Christchurch and from 1961 to 1964 studied architecture at the University of Auckland, where he gained a Diploma of Architecture. While a student he met Gary Baigent who later taught him the basics of photography and whose spontaneous 35mm approach was influential.
Richard Collins’ work was shown In the first compilation of contemporary New Zealand photography, the 1970 booklet Photography A visual dialect, 10 contemporary NZ photographers, and appeared in issues of New Zealand Photography magazine in the early 1970s. His major exposure came in the 1973 Auckland City Art Gallery exhibition and publication. Three New Zealand Photographers: Gary Baigent. Richard Collins, John Fields Around this time he experimented with using a large-format 4×5 inch camera but he eventually decided to stay with the 35mm format. In the later 1970s he had two solo exhibitions at the Auckland photographers’ gallery Snaps.
From 1967 to 1973 Collins practised architecture with JASMaD architects. In 1974 he moved with his wife and daughter to Pakiri, north of Auckland, to become part owner of a block of farmland. Here he built a house and planted a small vineyard and an olive orchard. He lives there still.
From Athol McCredie (Ed.), The New Photography, Te Papa Press, Wellington, New Zealand, 2019.
The Exhibition:
The New Photography – Life in the 60s and 70s.
until October 13.
Te Papa Tongarewa The Museum of New Zealand Toi Art Level 4
55 Cable Street
Wellington, New Zealand
https://www.tepapa.govt.nz/visit/exhibitions/toi-art/new-photography-life-60s-and-70s
The book accompanies the exhibition :
The New Photography, Te Papa Press. Publication date: June 2019. Hardback 22x27cm, 216 pages ISBN: 978-0-9951031-9-1. RRP $NZ70.00.
Buy the book here : https://www.tepapastore.co.nz/collections/te-papa-press/products/the-new-photography-new-zealand-s-first-generation-contemporary-photographers
