A Surrounded Beauty

A Surrounded Beauty is an investigation into the capacity of the photographic portrait to explore concepts of place. Using the camera to reveal what is not easily seen with the eye, the work seeks to capture a person’s aura to reflect the atmosphere of ‘islandness’.

The photographs are an emotional response to place as told through a collaboration between sitter and artist. The people invited to sit for their portrait have powerful stories that connect them to this island. The pictures interweave people’s personal stories with Tasmania’s public histories. They have all lived here for a significant part of their lives and have been shaped by its history. They are asked how they connect to Tasmania and how this island has shaped their identity. The images consider the relationship between aura and atmosphere, people and place.