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Gil Eva Craig - 4-19 October 2019 at Photospace Gallery, Wellington NZ

24/9/2019

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Gil Eva Craig exhibition poster 2019, New Zealand urban landscape photography, hotel rooms, Photospace Gallery contemporary New Zealand Photography
Gil Eva Craig exhibition poster 2019
Waitangi Series - Gil Eva Craig
 
In Waitangi Park, central Wellington, there is an urban wetland I have been photographing over the last six years. It is near to the site of the original Waitangi lagoon, which was used for centuries by Māori for food gathering, as there were eels, fish and shellfish within it. It was also a source of fresh water, and where waka were launched into the sea.
 
The topography of the wetland is always changing, from a lush rippling sea of green grass through to barren dry husks and stalks. The city council come in and trim back the reeds, hoons toss empty JD premix cans into the crannies between rocks, and  patches of the tall grass are regularly squashed down by human activity.
 
This set of four images is from a series of nine, which I took  from late summer and into winter of this year. The wetland is a living entity, and these images capture it's vitality and energy, and I also hope, something of its past spirit.

From Waitangi series by Gil Eva Craig, Photospace Gallery Contemporary New Zealand photography, urban lanscape photography, urban plantings, urban wetlands, landscape photography in Wellington city New Zealand
From Waitangi series. Photo: Gil Eva Craig
From Waitangi series by Gil Eva Craig, Photospace Gallery Contemporary New Zealand photography, urban lanscape photography, urban plantings, urban wetlands, landscape photography in Wellington city New Zealand
From Waitangi series. Photo: Gil Eva Craig
From Waitangi series by Gil Eva Craig, Photospace Gallery Contemporary New Zealand photography, urban lanscape photography, urban plantings, urban wetlands, landscape photography in Wellington city New Zealand
From Waitangi series, photograph by Gil Eva Craig
Welcome! (Hotel series) - Gil Eva Craig
 
Three years ago I toured the United States with a band* as their sound engineer. We started in Seattle, and the first night we were in a really nice hotel, so nice that I took a photo with my Samsung S5, looking into my room from the entrance. I decided  I'd take a photo of every hotel room I stayed in on the tour. From that angle.
 
The next day we drove over a snowy pass and emerged in a small, fully fogged up town called Yakima. The hotel was not as nice as the night before. There was a wifi network in the hotel environs with the password 'BestDrugsRoom12'. At breakfast, a hooker sidled into the dining room for a furtive coffee and to tuck some toast into her handbag, before being bundled out the door by the manager. 
 
I was sharing with Bec, one of the performers, and we were both feeling jet-lagged and a little disorientated as we had come from a blazing hot NZ summer to snow and a dirty fog that didn't lift for three days.  Bec arranged a banana and two plums into "meat 'n' two veg" in the fruit bowl in our room and we laughed hysterically and disproportionately over this. 
 
At night I jammed a chair under the door handle because there was a drunk in the carpark who kept asking me what my name was every time I went out. As it happened, that was one of only two really weird places we stayed on this tour – the other was in Florida. The Florida motor lodge had a swimming pool that had been filled in with gravel and deck chairs placed upon it, a ‘Trump for President’ sign, and the rooms had an uneasy  bouquet of possible unsolved murders. There was another sign that said 'maids wanted, apply within'.  That night I shared with Dee and we jammed a chair under the door and stayed up talking for ages.
 
*The Wellington International Ukulele Orchestra.
, Photospace Gallery contemporary New Zealand photography
From Hotel series, photo by Gil Eva Craig
, Photospace Gallery contemporary New Zealand photography
From Hotel series, photo by Gil Eva Craig
, Photospace Gallery contemporary New Zealand photography
From Hotel series, photo by Gil Eva Craig
, Photospace Gallery contemporary New Zealand photography
From Hotel series, photo by Gil Eva Craig
Gil Eva Craig has exhibited in group and solo exhibitions at Photospace Gallery since 2013. This exhibition runs in conjunction with one by Ann Kilpatrick from 4th to 19th October, 2019, at Photospace Gallery, 1st floor, 37 Courtenay Place, Wellington New Zealand.
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Ann Kilpatrick - 4th-19th October 2019, Photospace Gallery Wellington, NZ

24/9/2019

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Ann Kilpatrick exhibition poster, photospace gallery contemporary new zealand photography,2016 kaikoura earthquake aftermath and effects on wellington cbd, urban landscape photography
Ann Kilpatrick exhibition poster
Impact Wellington
 
What became known as the Kaikoura earthquake struck at 2 minutes after midnight on 14 November 2016. I was leaving a plane in Canberra as the earthquake struck and my husband had just landed in Wellington, my son was home alone. I realised the impact as residents lit up Facebook, marking themselves safe, all around New Zealand, it was a big one.
 
When I returned home to Wellington, and to work in Thorndon  a couple of weeks later, the area was like a war zone. There were buildings wrapped up for refurbishment, new builds in progress and a number of buildings cordoned off due to actual or potential earthquake damage.  The nine-storey building at 61 Molesworth Street suffered significant damage and was in the process of demolition.  Across the road, our building was closed due to the proximity of the demolition of 61 Molesworth Street.  We did not return to our office for about a month.
 
It became apparent that the Kaikoura earthquake impacted many sites near Thorndon; some harbour front buildings, NZDF Headquarters, the BNZ building, Statistics House and Revera House. More recently, Wellington people were advised that St Paul’s Church is damaged and the City Library is now closed due to potential failure in an Earthquake. 
 
I wonder why there is no obvious “relief package” or other high level acknowledgement of the impact of the Kaikoura earthquake upon Wellington infrastructure and its people.  Many buildings across Wellington, and the Hutt City, were damaged, many people were displaced from their offices and homes. Many are less comfortable working in the high rise buildings in the CBD.
 
There was story to tell as the buildings in Thorndon, and across Wellington, came down. I began to photograph them, and the people working on the demolitions, as I travelled to and from work.
 
The photographs in this series show a number of the Wellington buildings impacted by the Kaikoura earthquake.  Thanks to James Gilberd, John Williams and Gil Eva Craig for the guidance and support along the way.

Reflection Molesworth St Thorndon Wellington, Ann Kilpatrick exhibition poster, photospace gallery contemporary new zealand photography,2016 kaikoura earthquake aftermath and effects on wellington cbd, urban landscape photography
'Reflection (Molesworth Street)' - photo: Ann Kilpatrick
Hi Viz people
 
Hi Viz people are everywhere across New Zealand, on our state highways, country roads and in suburban streets. They include the “Stop Go” men and women of New Zealand. Powerful people in charge of streams of travellers from one end of the country to the other. They work in all kinds of weather in conditions less luxurious than other workers enjoy in the towns and city streets of New Zealand.

In Wellington, others are in their bright gear putting up scaffolds and demolishing the buildings damaged by the Kaikoura earthquake.

What do we know about these people who tell us when we must slow, stop and go? Men, women, different ethnicities, engineers, labourers, young and old.  Some smile and wave as travellers go by, despite the heat, dust, rain or cold. I wonder what their stories are? The Hi Viz people  are gone from view once the job is done, their impact and contribution invisible to all.

These photographs were taken as we passed by some of our Hi Viz people working throughout New Zealand.  They are drive by photos which seek to acknowledge the Hi Viz people, their contribution and impact.

Ann Kilpatrick, from Hi Viz people' series', Photospace Gallery contemporary new Zealand Photography, NZ documentary photographyPicture
Photo: Ann Kilpatrick, from Hi Viz people' series
Ann Kilpatrick, from Hi Viz people' series', Photospace Gallery contemporary new Zealand Photography, NZ documentary photography
Photo: Ann Kilpatrick, from Hi Viz people' series
Ann Kilpatrick
 
Ann has recently stopped working in the public sector and now has more time to pursue her interests beyond the discipline of 9 – 5 full time employment.  She has been developing her interest in photography and learning from established photographers in Wellington. She is interested in all types of photography with a leaning towards, documentary, street and landscape photography.

This is Ann’s first exhibition. It runs in conjunction with an exhibition by Gil Eva Craig from 4th to 19th October, 2019, at Photospace Gallery, 1st floor, 37 Courtenay Place, Wellington NZ.

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'Pin-ups' group exhibition, 13-28 September 2019

13/9/2019

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Dan Anbury: 'Untitled' (hare) from Akatarawa series, 2019, pin-ups group exhibition 2019, dead hare
Dan Anbury: 'Untitled' (hare) from Akatarawa series, 2019.

'Pin-ups' group exhibition

One photo each - a colour photo, unmounted, just pinned to the wall - by Dan Anbury, Hans Weston, James Gilberd, Thomas Slade, John Williams, and Helen Mitchell.
Runs 13th to 28th September in gallery room 4, alongside the DCM exhibition.

'Pin-ups' poster. background image by James Gilberd, photos by Thomas Slade, Dan Anbury, Helen Mitchell, John Williams, Hans Weston, photospace gallery contemporary new zealand photography
'Pin-ups' poster. Background image by James Gilberd.
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