Trucking - Lorna Sim
HUW DAVIES GALLERY 18 March–4 April
Lorna Sim’s images are always strikingly beautiful and meticulously composed; her creative skills are reflected in the many awards she has received in recent years. Lorna’s work has been seen in PhotoAccess and other group exhibitions and small solo shows, but this is her first solo exhibition in the HUW DAVIES GALLERY.
When we discussed the idea of an exhibition with Lorna we had in mind the work we were familiar with—dancers, portraits, atmospheric street scenes, interiors and landscapes. We were unprepared for the images she showed us. The Trucking images had immediate dramatic impact and showed a coherent, unusual vision. Clearly they came out of a deep fascination for the subject. As an artist in residence Lorna was able to consult with us to develop the series and the exhibition came together quickly in collaboration with Stephen Best of Macquarie Editions, who optimised the impact of the images in beautiful inkjet prints.
Lorna’s career has been dominated by her interest in image making and storytelling. She worked in film and television for some years, and is now a restaurateur and very busy photographer.
Trucking is a powerful statement about the industry and, although we don’t see them, the men and women it involves. Sim experiences obvious trepidation when she gets up close to the massive machines but she is intrigued by the people inside them and the lives they live. The placement of trucks on the road and the landscape setting point to emotional responses: threatened; the excitement of the journey; admiration for a long distance driver heading off into a long night; the truckie as a modern day working hero. There are wet days (which she particularly likes as subject matter), the portent and imminent challenge of heavy skies, long stretches of road and helpful signposts to give physical context to the journey.
Considering Lorna Sim’s interest in the people involved in or affected by the trucking industry it was fitting that the exhibition should be dedicated to the late Bob Knight, whose accidental death last year shocked everyone.
We are delighted to present Lorna Sim’s Trucking in the HUW DAVIES GALLERY at the Manuka Arts Centre.
