The Artists
Five photographic artists from a diverse range of backgrounds were selected to contribute to the Head in the Clouds portrait exhibition.
They were selected to participate for their technical skill, their style, and their conceptual capacity - to challenge and engage the viewer.
The challenging format of the banner ratio provided the photographers with the opportunity to stretch themselves artistically.
From a curatorial point of view, their styles needed to be able to alternate up the street and sit well visually together, yet vary from each other – to be distinct enough that visitors would be able to get a sense of which works were from each photographer without needing to carry a catalogue up the street.
Peter Adams
Although he has worked professionally for editorial and advertising clients for over 20 years, it is Peter Adams’ personal projects that inspire and intrigue.
During the project Peter had recently returned from five months travelling through Europe completing the last phase of a project spanning 30 years.
He immerses himself in the world of his subject, getting to the core of what makes them tick, what is important to them, and presents it truthfully & creatively to the world. A master of light and humour, Peter brings a wealth of experience in bringing portraits and projects to life.
Alex Benetel
Named one of the best artists on Flickr and exhibiting in the Flickr20under20 exhibition in New York, Alex still has her feet on the ground.
Creating fine art portraits that evoke a sense of nostalgia intermingled with a forgotten dream, Alex captures her subject, and yet captures a sense of who we are as human kind.
The viewer senses mystery, and stories untold, that lie beneath the surface. Her images give a sense that one lonely soul has been left behind, but the uncertainty is in which world and time that lost soul resides.
Ona Janzen
With a sensitivity married with strength, Ona gives her subjects the time and space to just ‘be’. To be with themselves, to be with nature, so that they may be with her and her camera in an authentic and open way. Ona’s portraits hint at the interplay of people with their environment. How it impacts us, and who we are, and how we are with others.
As a 2014 Head On Portrait Prize Finalist Ona brings an open and humble heart to her creations. Her photographs capture the truth behind a subject’s eyes and the strength of their spirit, taking them to places where they can relax surrounded by the sounds and quiet of nature.
Ann Niddrie
Whether it is a shimmer of sunlight on a puddle, or a fleeting glance between lovers across a crowded room, Ann has an eye for seeing past the mediocrity of everyday life to reveal the hidden beauty in any given moment.
As a founding member and photo editor of the popular blog The Cloudscape, Ann connects with her subjects in a manner that puts them at ease, allowing them to open up to her – drawing out their own inner beauty, their true self.
Her portraits have a simplicity, an honesty, that holds the heart of the viewer for a time.
Mandy Schoene-Salter
Mandy’s ability to get to know her subject deeply allows her to capture people from angles that reveal their inner reality.
Mandy’s projects impact real people in diverse communities, bravely questioning, and exploring aspects of our social lives and structure that are overlooked or ignored.
Mandy gives a voice to others through her powerful and inquisitive portraits, making social change possible through her art - through the product and the process, creating healing, education and possibility where for some, there was none.