In this
exhibition, Mark Tedeschi shows us abandoned industrial sites and objects
that are evocative of long lost functionality and that convey the pathos and
eerie beauty that comes to buildings and objects from age and abandonment.
Some of the images contain amazingly beautiful hues and shapes, while others
are cheekily suggestive of long-lost worlds. Many of them, as the title
suggests, convey Mark Tedeschi’s quirky sense of humour. He says:
“I
have always felt that the “ugliness” of age and decay is beautiful, while
conventional “beauty” can be boringly ugly. That goes for people as much as
it does for buildings and objects. From the rotting canals of Venice to the
rusting tin sheds of rural Australia, age and decay can exhibit a variety of
textures and colours that twists our insides with their sheer beauty. That is
why old buildings that have been over-renovated lose the patina of age and
become dull and lifeless. I am sure that one of the reasons why we find
decayed buildings and objects so intriguing is that the appearance of age is
not something that we have created ourselves, but something that has slowly
evolved from the forces of nature, despite our best efforts and intent. It
is as though there has been an extended partnership between the original
builder, now often long-gone, and nature to create a beauty that neither
could have done alone. When I take photographs, of people or buildings, I
try to create something that has a message or meaning or universal appeal
that goes beyond the surface of the image. I delight in evocative
ambiguities. A photograph of a magnificent old factory that is crumbling
and full of dried bird droppings can tell us something about the past that
is universal to us all. I also try to inject some humour. I believe that one
shouldn’t be too serious in art-making. Often playfulness can help us
capture some hidden truth or meaning”.
The artist
This is a
very unusual exhibition for Mark Tedeschi. Most of his previous work has
involved portraiture – of his colleagues in the law, of the residents of The
Block in Redfern (which are now quite historical), of holocaust survivors in
Australia, and his street photography in which he seeks to capture
“unrepeatable moments”.
Mark
Tedeschi’s photographs are included in the collections of the Art Gallery of
NSW, the National Library of Australia, the NSW State Library, the Justice &
Police Museum, and the Museum of Sydney. This is his 10th solo
exhibition. He has been included in over 20 joint exhibitions in Australia,
Italy and France. His images have been published extensively in books and
journals. He has been a finalist in the National Photographic Portrait Prize
at the NPG in Canberra (three times), the Moran Contemporary Photographic
Prize, the “Head On” Photographic Portrait Prize at the Australian Centre
for Photography in Sydney, and the Photographic Portrait Prize at the
National Portrait Gallery in London.