[Uppdated 2pm, 2/3/23]

CATHERINE RUSS – IN THE QUIET
Photospace Gallery, 3 March–6 April, 2023

In the summer of 2018, I began photographing in the early hours of the morning around Palmerston North’s CBD. Often, I would be thinking of friends and family who were living overseas, and I particularly enjoyed posting on social media, images I’d taken that morning. Each time I walked and photographed, a little bit of ‘home’ was channelled to Las Vegas, Birmingham, New York, Berlin etc. 
The response was positive and immediate! It became evident that my friends were enjoying this regular insight into life back home. The light, the space, the emptiness … all so normal here. It made me view things differently. I started to gather images that I knew would spike an interest if you were residing in any other place in the world.  
In November 2020 I received a grant from the Earle Creativity and Development Trust to help produce this series. The images are largely buildings from a range of small towns and settlements in the regions around Palmerston North.  
My preference is to keep things simple. I use minimal gear and like to draw as little attention as possible to my activity. I’m generally in the CBD or Main Street where the space is public, rather than photographing people’s homes. I may only ever walk past a place once and if all the components I’m looking for are there, I’ll spend time creating the shot. 
- Catherine Russ, 2023

Special thanks to the individuals listed below who have all helped me complete this series. 
Acknowledgements:
Earle Creativity and Development Trust
Oliver Zavala
James Gilberd
Christian Hogue 
Andrew Francis
Cathy Ellis
Simon Francis 

 All photographs were taken between 18 November 2020 – 7 November 2021
Printed on Hahnemuhle Photo Rag Satin 310gsm
Open edition.

Catherine Russ - Bio 

Growing up in Palmerston North, Russ was influenced by the 1975 photography exhibition The Active Eye at the Manawatu Art Gallery, which featured many of New Zealand’s contemporary photographers of the time.
Inspired by her night class tutor, Elam Art Graduate Kathryn McCool, she started photographing in the late 1990s, completing several locally-themed projects for exhibition.
Russ’s work featured in the New Zealand Journal of Photography (Feb 1999) and has been exhibited at New Zealand House in London as well as regional public and private galleries in Aotearoa, New Zealand.
After establishing Thermostat Gallery in Palmerston North in 2001, Russ is finding the time to create her own work again after a lengthy hiatus. Her recent photographic series Park Up was exhibited at Te Manawa (PN) in 2020 and Aratoi (Masterton) in 2021.

Catherine exhibited at Photospace Gallery in 1999 - Shall We Dance? -and in 2002 with her sister Jo Russ - Getting Personal - as well as in several group exhibitions.

'Good' is Amelia Nurse's first exhibition at Photospace gallery, and it comprises color and black & white photographs.  The exhibition shows in gallery room 3 from 3rd March-6th April 2023. The exhibition opening in on Thursday 2nd March, 5pm-7pm, along with Catherine Russ' exhibition 'In the Quiet' in gallery room 1.

Statement:
Good is titled after a mailbox I came across while out walking. It reflects both how the images were encountered, and my perfunctory reaction to finding subjects and scenes that held a resonance for me. They were taken in 2019/2020 in western Waikato and the Coromandel.

In a John Clarke interview (prior to his death) he talked about first having an idea and then considering what form it should take: poetry, comedy, interview… This struck a chord for me. In the instance of this particular collection, I was finding words foreign and inaccessible, but photography allowed me to bring into focus my experience of that bracket of time.

Biography:
Amelia Nurse, of dual Canadian and NZ heritage, lives and works in Te Mata in the Coromandel. Things she's earned money doing and/or has done to earn money include music, broadcasting, editing, photography, waiting tables, doco making, travel journalism, running B&Bs, accountancy, haircutting, poetry and arboreal labour. In her photography she aspires to transcending the image to communicate the emotional impulse or sensory experience which lies behind it.

Julian Ward has exhibited his black & white street photographs and landscape photographs at Photospace Gallery numerous times since 2001. This exhibition of 16 photographs is to mark the launch of the short documentary film 'Gifts from the Gods' made by Hans Weston Films.
There will be a preview of the film in the Photospace Gallery studio on Saturday 11th February, running continuously from 11am to 1.30pm. You are most welcome to come along.
The exhibition is on the walls now (3rd Feb) and available to view just until 25 Feb. Once we've done the film preview I'll set up a TV screen in the gallery room to show the film on demand.

View 'Gifts from the Gods' free online

'Gifts form the Gods' runs till 26th Feb, but is closed on Waitangi Day (Monday 6th Feb.)
Gallery hours are normally 10am-3pm Monday-Friday, 11am-2pm Saturday, closed Sundays and public holidays. Entry is free. Photographs by Julian Ward are for sale.
Also see julianward.co.nz