Tag: Historical

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Christchurch Earthquake Aftermath

Non-Iconic Series

The Christchurch CBD aftermath following Canterbury’s destructive earthquakes. Major shocks occurred September 4th 2010 (7.1), February 22nd (6.3), June 13th (6.4) and December 23rd (6.0) 2011, with more than 10,000 aftershocks. Sadly 185 people died, many seriously injured and hundreds of buildings were destroyed.

Earthquake aftermath: Heart break

I chose to make “non-iconic” photographs to complement the plethora of images of collapsed buildings and broken landscapes that made the press worldwide.

Canterbury Earthquake Aftermath

Earthquake aftermath: Blind.

Below the main series I present a number of before and after earthquakes cityscapes. This was possible because, fortuitously, I made a series of photographs of the CBD a few months before the earthquakes.

The gallery may be viewed here.

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China 1980s – People of Inner Mongolia

A retrospective of the people of Inner Mongolia, 1981-83.

Working on a project at Wengniute in Inner Mongolia in the early 1980s when China was in its initial phase of “opening up” was a privileged and immensely rewarding experience. The project had a very high status in Beijing, and was well publicised. A heady experience for a young man on his first overseas assignment.

The photographs exhibited here represent a selection of the extensive landscape and people photographs I made during that time.

The people remain at the foremost of my memories of the Wengniute experience. So it is appropriate that those people are the subject of this series.

Inner Mongolia, China

Inner Mongolia, China

In the photographs you will see work counterparts and their families, interpreters, drivers, cooks and gardener, gatherings at the local cooperative store, outdoor film shows, the naadam (Mongolian tournament) and, of course, banquets.

Inner Mongolia, China

I chose black and white as the medium because it conveys the form and character of the people so well.

The collection is a unique record of that time and place.

The series is presented in this gallery

Alternatively the series, set to the music of Hanggai, may be viewed as a video on Vimeo:

China 1980s – People of Inner Mongolia

For descriptive notes refer to the blog in above menu.

The series, set to the wonderfully evocative music of Hanggai, may be viewed as a video below the gallery.

 

 

 

People of Inner Mongolia gallery set to the music of Hanggai: