Last updated on February 9, 2023
Peter is a “photographic observer” who is living in Australia since 1971. Peter has taken photographs most of his life both here in the US and in Australia. He has a way of going back to the same spot over time and collecting the photos in chronological order that are time capsules and tell a story by themselves. Peter is a regular contributor under the byline “Bit and Pieces from Peter in Australia”. I have asked him to share some of what he is currently doing in Australia.
Peter has mentioned the “Galley” from time to time and that drew my interest. What is the “Gallery”? Today’s collection of photographs and narrative are about what he is doing and what is happening in and around the galley in his daily life.
The Gallery is an Arts and Crafts Gallery. The gallery has been expanded its use to include a Community Center under the governance of the Moreton Bay Regional Council. The council is more like what we would call a county governance here in the US. The gallery now additionally hosts local social groups and social gatherings such as morning teas.
A couple weeks ago at one of these socials events Peter is presenting one of his drawings to the lady who won it in a raffle. The drawing is a ship that was beached and wrecked on a patch of local shoreline for many years.
This is some of what Peter and Marie display in their gallery. Peter’s partner Marie is a painter where Peter leans towards illustration style of work and printing his photos on canvas then he enhances them with his artistic talents
Here are a couple of photos of Marie’s work.
This is what Peter does with some of his photos both old and new to exhibit in their gallery. It is a photo that was revived from an old dusty scratched negative that Peter printed onto canvas. The photo Peter took was a real scrap yard that existed in Brisbane into the early 2000’s. Peter’s photo was taken around 1980 where he positioned himself on a truck to get his best possible vantage point. What he did to the photo after that was to hand color the photo with pastels, felt tip markers and white out for filling in the dark areas. Peter painted the figures walking back to the house where the final negotiations were haggled out. In retrospect it represents all the places he traveled to at one time or other that no longer exist. A dream time line of memories.
Their gallery is located on a dead end road. Some of the photos we have seen, over time, that Peter captures are if he hurries back into the gallery, gets his camera, and out the door in time for the cars return. Peter has made canvas prints from some of the photos of their cars as commissioned by the owners. Below is one such example. Peter added in more foliage and the boats in the water for that brochure style print for his friend.
Peter has thanked me for sharing his Australian-In-the-Hood photos. But, I want to thank Peter for sharing his photographic perspectives with us. Thank you Peter.
Thanks for traveling along. Frank