US blogger extraordianaire, Eric Kim interviewed Oculi members on the “Home” project which launches today in Sydney for ONE NIGHT ONLY!!!

For more information CLICK HERE.

Congratulations to one of Oculi’s newest member, David Maurice Smith, who has been named Australia’s Emerging Documentary/Photojournalism Photographer of The Year for 2013 by Capture Magazine.

Smith has been working tirelessly on a project focussing on the complexities of an Australian indigenous community in western NSW over the [...]]]>

Congratulations to one of Oculi’s newest member, David Maurice Smith, who has been named Australia’s Emerging Documentary/Photojournalism Photographer of The Year for 2013 by Capture Magazine.

Smith has been working tirelessly on a project focussing on the complexities of an Australian indigenous community in western NSW over the last year. The culmination of this work will be screening as a projection at the Reportage Festival from late May. Smith’s work promises to be a highlight among a field of some of the world’s best photojournalists and should not be missed.

For more information on Reportage as it comes to light, CLICK HERE.

The exhibition is supported by Epson Australia and opens May [...]]]> Oculi is excited to announce that as part of the 2013 Reportage Photography Festival and in partnership with BLURB books, we will be presenting HOME, an interactive exhibition where viewers will be able to populate and sequence their own custom book from the Oculi Collective’s exhibition images.

The exhibition is supported by Epson Australia and opens May 22nd at 6pm at the Cleland Bond building in The Rocks (33 Playfair Street).

Please join us for what will be an amazing opening night.

Opening Night:               Wednesday May 22nd, 6-9pm

Dates:                               May 22nd to June 10th

Opening hours:               Tues-Sat 11-6pm, Sun 12-4pm

Venue:                              Ground Level, Cleland Bond, 33 Playfair Street, The Rocks

                                                                                                                                                                               image: Andrew Quilty/Oculi

About the Exhibition theme:

“Since its conception Oculi’s axis has been Australia, its ostensible home. As well as its physical base, Australia has been the place its members have felt compelled – even obligated – to explore most thoroughly.

Increasingly however, in both the physical and digital world, how we once defined home is being challenged like never before. As globalisation and even the effects of global warming remark physical and abstract borders arbitrarily, the importance of finding a concept of home has never been more fundamental.

Oculi: Home doesn’t seek to answer the question; “what is home?” but merely to offer a collective interpretation of home as an idea. From a structure of four walls and a roof as home might most commonly be recognised, to the symbols that define and those that evoke. 

– Oculi photographer Andrew Quilty

About the Exhibition / Book making process:

“Photographers spend their careers making pictures, editing pictures and sequencing pictures in an effort to ensure the most impactful connection with their intended audience.  So, what would happen if the audience is allowed to make these decisions for photographers? How would this change a story? New stories would surely emerge, ensuring emotion, drama and photographic intrigue as it unfolded in real-time with real-world audience driven decisions.”

– Daniel Milnor, Blurb USA

‘Women Documenting’ is a seminar that will highlight the work of some of Australia’s and the world’s most innovative female documentary photographers.

The event including photographers Raphaela Rosella (Australia) of Oculi, Tamara Dean (Australia) [...]]]> Straight from the Vivid website and an official part of the 2013 Reportage Festival Program.

‘Women Documenting’ is a seminar that will highlight the work of some of Australia’s and the world’s most innovative female documentary photographers.

The event including photographers Raphaela Rosella (Australia) of Oculi, Tamara Dean (Australia) of Olsen Irwin Gallery, Lee Grant (Australia) of Oculi and international guest, award winning photographer Paula Bronstein (USA) will investigate the importance of women based in the field, it will also investigate the challenges that they face in diverse environments within documentary photography, such as conflict areas amongst others.

This seminar will involve intensive discussions regarding the challenges, changes and experiences of women in the field of photojournalism and documentary photography and their role and presence in the history of the genre.

The photographers will present their work and open discussions about their experiences in the field.

More guests to be announced.

Reportage Festival

May 25 – June 13, 2013

www.reportage.com.au

www.facebook.com/reportagefestival

www.twitter.com/reportagesydney

Oculi photographer David Maurice Smith’s ongoing project “Living in the Shadow’s”  exploring the Aboroiginal community of Wilcannia, NSW has been featured on the CNN homepage and the popular CNN photos blog, bringing global attention to the contemporary struggles faced by Aboriginal Australians.

On a recent trip to New [...]]]>

Oculi photographer David Maurice Smith’s ongoing project “Living in the Shadow’s”  exploring the Aboroiginal community of Wilcannia, NSW has been featured on the CNN homepage and the popular CNN photos blog, bringing global attention to the contemporary struggles faced by Aboriginal Australians.

On a recent trip to New York, Smith met with former Newsweek Magazine Photo Editor and current Director of Photography of CNN Simon Barnett. Barnett was immediately interested in the work, citing a lack of exposure to the conditions faced by Aboriginal people in Australia and the quality of the Smith’s imagery as reasons for showcasing the work on the popular CNN site.

A link to the post can be seen here.

Photograph’s of Dean Sewell’s from the road (including that above from the South Australian desert) appeared in the current issue – The Summer Issue – of The Monthly Magazine, Available now through Australian news outlets and book stores. To subscribe to The Monthly [...]]]>

Photograph’s of Dean Sewell’s from the road (including that above from the South Australian desert) appeared in the current issue – The Summer Issue – of The Monthly Magazine, Available now through Australian news outlets and book stores. To subscribe to The Monthly click here.

Lee Grant has been announced as one of three winners selected by curator Yumi Goto for the 2nd Asian Women Photographers Showcase (AWPS). A selection of Lee’s work from her new and ongoing series The Korea/Goryo Project will be exhibited at the Chiang Mai Documentary Arts Festival in Thailand from the 8-14th February 2013.

                                                             Photo courtesy of Anthony Browell

I first met David Potts around 12 years ago. I [...]]]>

                                                             Photo courtesy of Anthony Browell

I first met David Potts around 12 years ago. I was invited to show the beginnings of a newly commenced long term project on the urban indigenous community of ‘The Block’  at the Sydney Observatory that hosted a monthly symposium on Australian photographers and their works. It was one of the first public showings of my work and witnessing the cream of Australian photography assembled under one roof was a daunting experience. I remember staring back at the gathered audience and the terror that washed over me. Along with Pottsy were David Moore , Robert McFarlane and Roger Scott to name a few and I remember the relief on completion as a cathartic experience. Later, I was approached by a man who introduced himself to me as Pottsy, he wanted to commend me on my work. His sincerity prompted and immediate inquiry. Who was David Potts?