CHRIS DOES IT

The What\How\Why Project is an artist showcase exhibition conceived, curated, and produced by Mulubinba\Newcastle artist and photographer Chris Brown, in partnership with Hunter Writers Centre and Lighthouse Arts. The exhibition at Whibayganba/Nobby’s Headland showcased ten local creatives working in fields such as visual art, painting, sculpture, expanded photography, songwriting, and performance.

The exhibition featured a series of 10 images, alongside short interviews conducted by local arts writers, exploring the key motivations of each artist.

Artist Statement:
I adopted a distinct and anachronistic photography practice for this exhibition: instead of using a digital camera, I shot images on a large format film camera. This camera type was popular from the late 19th century to mid-20th century and the resultant negative created is 4×5 inches in size – much larger than the standard 35mm film negative. However, instead of using traditional film, I chose to use paper to create my negatives. I hand-developed these light sensitive darkroom photographic negatives in my studio and digitised them prior to printing.

This is a laborious method and presents multiple challenges. For example the need for long exposure times means subjects must be statue-still for the duration of the exposure, but this also can create unintended and dreamy movement blur. The inability to review a photograph until after it has been processed and developed can also result in failed exposures. However, I embrace these challenges, viewing them as opportunities to simplify my compositions. I also love the element of unpredictability this process imparts and the ephemera it captures. The resulting images are dreamy and reflect a state of ultimate authenticity in my subjects.

I embarked on a mission to photograph and showcase local artists within their creative sanctuaries and various locations around the Newcastle area. With assistance from a selection panel of local curators and arts industry professionals, a shortlist of artists was created. Artists were then paired with local writers for interviews about their practice. These interviews focused on exploring answers to questions such as Why do you make art?”, “What kind of art do you make?” and “How do you approach art-making?”. This exhibition is an ode to the creative, and a love letter to the artist.

With the exhibition, I aim to push artists to articulate their motivations, beliefs, and purposes behind their creative practice. I hope to provide a unique insight into the minds of the Newcastle creative community.