 Sue Guest - 'Tangle of Supplejack', from 'Rain Forest' The New Zealand forest is evergreen and characterised by the density of its undergrowth of shrubs, lianes (vines) and ferns. On the forest floor the detritus and its associated mosses and lichens form a soft, thick litter layer. Small creeks and seepages clothed in mosses, lichens and liverworts and filmy ferns impart a softness, a stillness and dampness to our forests that is almost unique. - J. T. Salmon 1997 Exhibition statement I keep revisiting the native forest remaining in Wellington’s western suburbs looking for the scenes that seem to be characteristic of the New Zealand bush and continuing to notice new details. Our bush depends for its lushness on rainfall evenly spread throughout the year. The capital has about 124 rainfall days a year. The rain provides a magical dimension to the scene and these photographs were all taken on wet days. Landscape photography was once considered non-destructive to the environment – “take nothing but photos leave nothing but footprints”. But we have subsequently had the “Instagram effect” of people being keen to prove they have been to these places and in the process causing destruction to scenic spots while trying to capture the iconic photograph. We see images online of people trampling wildflowers or overcrowding the spot that destroys the magic they seek to capture. The question for one who cares about the environment is should I still be taking photos at all? Are we leading to its destruction by photographing it? I try not to. I do want to be able to capture not the great scenic spots of New Zealand but the extraordinary complexity of nature by photographing the ordinary. These are along the bush tracks - the spots you may have walked by taking the dog out for a walk. But they are worthy of a second look. This is the view of a photographer, not a scientist. I hope that by looking in detail at these scenes you may see the need to support and care for wild spaces. - Sue Guest, 2021 Sue Guest has exhibited at Photospace Gallery in group and solo exhibitions since 2015. This exhibition follows the theme of her 2017 exhibition 'Into the Everyday'. 'Rain Forest' is shown in conjunction with an exhibition by Rebecca Macfie - 'Night Shadows - a collection of photograms'. Both exhibitions open on Thursday 3rd February, 5pm-7pm (a Vaccine Pass is required to attend the opening), and run till Saturday, 26th February, 2022. Gallery hours are Monday-Friday 10am-3pm, Saturdays 11am-2pm, closed on Sundays and public holidays (closed Monday 7th February for Waitangi Day).  Interview/article on Sue Guest exhibition in Regional News, 15 Feb 2022. I'll replace this with a link if/when it becomes available.
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'Night Shadows – a collection of photograms' is an installation of almost 100 darkroom photographic images on silver-gelatin photographic paper. They are photograms, a cameraless photographic process where objects are directly placed onto the surface of a light-sensitive material and then exposed to light, and were made over a period of 12 months at the artist’s home in Featherston, South Wairarapa. The negative images were made in the artist’s backyard in the dark of night and are a recording of shadows. They are split into two themes, the largest being botanical in nature with the remaining other forms found in the backyard at the time including children’s toys, netting, glass and sporting equipment. These images are an exploration of shape and form, and are inspired by the artist’s garden and home life. They reference home, nature and domesticity and the creation of them has offered sanctuary and quiet as the artist navigates the garden at night time to expose the images. They’re celebrating the practice of art making and photography in the home environment while examining the shadows and forms found all around us. - Rebecca Macfie 2021. Gallery sales of work from 'Night Shadows' will be as individual 8"x10" archival pigment prints, limited edition of 10, on Ilford Gold Fibre Gloss 310gsm Baryta Finish. The original silver-gelatin photograms are unique images and are not available for sale. 'Night Shadows' will be shown in conjunction with Sue Guest's exhibition 'Rain Forest', opening Thursday 3rd February, 5pm-7pm. (A Vaccine Pass is required to attend the opening.) Both exhibitions run till Saturday, 26th February, 2022. Gallery hours are Monday-Friday 10am-3pm, Saturdays 11am-2pm, closed on Sundays and public holidays (closed Monday 7th February for Waitangi Day). This is Rebecca Macfie's first exhibition at Photospace Gallery. Here is a list of her previous shows:
2019
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