Fancy Dress and Fascists

Well, August has passed and it’s time for your monthly dose of irreverent humour and bad taste.  The title of this newsletter may have you a little perplexed but it will all make sense in the coming paragraphs.  

In recent weeks I have been going through my old photo albums and reminiscing about my youth.  My daughter has been trying to convince me to shoot film and I was almost there.  However, there are several roadblocks in the way to my return to celluloid selfies.  Firstly, I just hate the quality of film.  I am so used to clean, sharp digital images, a return to the dark ages is a real shock.  Then there is the cost, the waiting, the fact you then have to digitise the images anyway and it all just seems like such a stupid way to take photographs.  Now before you label me as an out of touch boomer, I’m an out of touch Gen X’er.  I remember now why I gave up film in the first place.

Anyway, back to my old photo albums.  I came across some photos of many parties I attended and some of them were fancy dress.  In one shot I was dressed as a debonaire Errol Flynn who was a womaniser at best and possibly a pedo at worst.  All you younger folk can google him.  At another party I was dressed as an evil doctor, possibly with connections to the corrupt Pharmaceutical industry, but my Pièce de résistance was dressing up as Hitler.  Now before you label me a fascist you have to remember the time of the said incident.  It was the early 90’s when people had a sense of humour.  The music was excellent, the grunge era was in full swing, fashion wasn’t so embarrassing, unlike the 80’s and life was less complicated.  It was also the time I picked up a camera and became a “Pro”.  I remember a funny story that reflects my humble, low rent upbringing.  I had a price list for my professional photographic services that I had typed out and photocopied for clients.  I was informed, by one of my clients, that professional wasn’t spelt with two f’s.  I still questioned that to this day.  Surely the more letters in proffessional makes it more profffessional. 

August was a good month. I turned 61, my son turned 23.  I had a bacterial infection that made me feel like a loaded Petri dish of diseased filth, we had slightly above average rainfall and the dog didn’t throw up on the carpet.  It could be regarded the highlight of the year.  Well, so far.  September is shaping up to be a ripper.  We have the Open Studios exhibition starting on the 12th, it is my daughters 21st, and I am hoping to get the valve stem seals replaced on the FJ Cruiser.  On that note, if anyone knows a mechanic willing to do the repairs without taking off the heads I would love to get their contact details.  Seems I bought the cleanest, best looked after FJ in Australia.  Unfortunately it has the worst engine.  They say you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, I didn’t think that applied to cars too!  The one lady owner must have driven it in first gear for 190,000 kms, and before you call me a misogynist, the car salesman told me it was driven by a little old lady to the CWA and back.  Unfortunately she must have lived in Sydney and the CWA was in Melbourne.  And I’m not having a go at used car salesmen or saleswomen or salesthems, I think they are just selling a product that has the potential to ruin your life and reputation.  Sort of like driving a Kia Tasman Ute. (Have you seen those things? The designer must have lost their job, surely)

I managed to take some photos in August!!  I was excited to use the two vintage Leica lenses I had recently purchased and found the results to be amazing.  I had a trip to Perth to stay with the kids and rode a bike around the river in the early morning.  Then I took a couple of trips out into the wheatbelt chasing stunning farmland and stunning sheep!!  I just said stunning sheep for all the vegans out there.  That said, the canola this year is amazing.  If you have some time, go and see it before it’s gone.  I was told it will be good for another couple of weeks. The wheat and barley is looking very healthy, can’t wait for it to be turned into 24 hour sourdough and beer.  Ever since watching Clarkson’s Farm I just love the idea of being a farmer.  If it wasn’t for the hard work, solitude, failed crops and cow poop I would be all over it.  Alas, I am just a photographer and will have to be happy with calling that “work”.  My life is soooo hard!

I am doing my collaborative exhibition, during the Margaret River Region Open Studios, again with a completely different group of talented South West Artists. This is a highlight of our annual events and I invite you to come along and see how these artists interpret my work. I've been working on a new body of images which is a culmination of a years work, blood, sweat and tears....... OK, maybe that's a bit of an exaggeration but there was sweat!

The arrival of my new book - Down South - has been a bit delayed but we should have it in the Gallery by the end of next week.

I'm excited to be exhibiting in Confluence, a joint initiative with Margaret River Region Open Studios and Saltwater Gallery, Busselton.

The exhibition has more than 80 artists, each showcasing a single work that offers a glimpse into their creative practice ahead of Margaret River Region Open Studios.

5 September - 4 October 2026. Saltwater Gallery, 9 Queen Street, Busselton.

Opening event - 5pm, 4 September. I hope to see you there!

Art After Dark event, 5 - 8pm Friday, 2 October.