Photographs of Western Australian photographers, sculptors, painters, musicians and dancers in their studios and in rehersal

Prior to moving to Quinninup in the south western Australian forest I was based in Fremantle documenting visual and performing arts. The following pictures are portraits of artists and musicians in their studios and during rehearsal. Since then I have made portraits of other photographers

Artists photographed include Howard Taylor, John Beard, Greg James, Brian McKay, Roger Smalley, Cathy Travers, and Lindsay Vickery. Aerialist and circus performer and teacher Nel Simpson has her own page

HOWARD TAYLOR

Howard Taylor was one of the most celebrated and influential painters in Western Australia. After moving to Northcliffe in the Southern Forest his work evolved to depiction of light as substance with ever increasing abstraction

GREG JAMES

Greg James and Ella in studio, Fremantle WA. February 1998

Greg James with torso, Fremantle Studio September 2000  

Greg James and Debbie Ludlam, Fremantle, Western Australia
May 2002

JOHN BEARD

John Beard won the Australian Archibald Prize for Portraiture 2007, which reminded me of portraits I made of John Beard in Western Australia in 1988

John Beard in his Fremantle Studio, June 1988

John Beard in my Fremantle Studio, December 1988

BRIAN McKAY

CATHY TRAVERS

ROGER SMALLEY

Roger Smalley, composer, performing in Nova Ensemble's third performance of
Steve Reich's "Sextet", Quarry Amphitheatre, Western Australia February 1988

Steve Reich's Sextet is one of the most energetic pieces of music I remember from those days. It was also a dangerous piece of music to drive to if there is late sun streaming through roadside trees. The tendancy is for the driver to synchronise the visual and musical pulses, which is about 145Kph. Don't tell the local constabulary

LINDSAY VICKERY

Michal Murin, Bratislava, wrote "Visual Composition", subtitled "Feelings and Moments with Own Music in Mind" on a beach in East Germany. Prior to the revolution he was unable to perform this piece on a beach in Czechoslovakia. Yes, I know, it is a joke! "Visual Composition" was performed twice for him in Western Australia in 1989 and 1991. Performers personal notes and my photographs documenting the performances sent to him. Later I learned that the boxes of photographs and notes did not reach Michal Murin till after the velvet revolution

This photo of Lindsay Vickery and Linda Rossen was exhibited in Slovak National Gallery in Slovakia in 2001 exhibition titled "Art in Action" 1965 - 1989 and in the current 2009 exhibition "Eighties" in Slovak Visual Art Today

Roger Garwood

This is the Zero Image 5x4" camera Rae swapped for my share in a 50mm Leitz Summicron. No further comment

John Austin Print Sales