The Centre for Contemporary Photography (CCP) in Melbourne is celebrating its 30th anniversary with a fundraiser exhibition featuring works donated by more than 70 artists, all of whom have previously exhibited with the CCP.
Artists from Australia, New Zealand, Britain and America have contributed artworks ranging in price from $150 to $8000. Among the participants are architectural photographers Wolfgang Sievers and John Gollings, who has donated prints of photographs taken of Mick Jagger and Bob Dylan taken in 1966.
Bob Dylan arriving in Melbourne by John Gollings.
Image: Courtesy of the artist
CCP director Naomi Cass said the organization was a vital advocate for creative practitioners and had been a nexus between artists and audiences for three decades.
“We have artists in the fundraiser who are in the early part of their careers, right through to highly established artists who, for instance, have represented Australia at the Venice Biennale,” Cass said.
Anne Zahalka has held more than 40 solo exhibitions and participated in more than 140 group exhibitions throughout her career. In 2014, Zahalka was commissioned to produce a series of photographs commemorating 25 years of Parlaiment House (read Suzie Attiwill’s review here). For the exhibition Zahalka has donated an image called Untitled (Road to Zagora) from her most recent exhibition at Arc One Gallery.
“CCP has been really integral in helping me develop my career in terms of giving me a solo survey exhibition, in 2007, of all my portrait work,” she said.
The 2007 exhibition was titled Hall of Mirrors: Anne Zahalka Portraits 1987–2007 and was toured by NETS Victoria to a number of regional venues.
“CCP are doing really exciting and ambitious exhibitions that don’t have to conform to any commercial imperative. They are broadening creative possibilities and allowing photographers to work in a much expanded field, which extends the definition of photographic art.”
Michael Corridore has donated a photograph from his ‘Angry Black Snake’ collection (reviewed in 2008 by Karen Burns).
Photography, sculpture and video artist Darren Sylvester has now exhibited internationally, but had his first Melbourne exhibition at CCP in 1997, when the CCP had a gallery that invited up-and-coming aritsts to apply.
“This was in the old CCP and I remember going to St Kilda Library and actually typing out my application on a typewriter, with my slides, and I got a show. And so a year later I had my first show in Melbourne there, which was a series of handmade black-and-white lightboxes,” Sylvester said.
The 30th anniversary fundraiser exhibition takes place from 6–8 pm on 21 July at the CCP, 404 George Street, Fitzroy. The exhibition will continue from 22 July to 5 August during normal gallery hours.
To receive a PDF catalogue with a list of artists and artworks prior to the exhibition please email your details to fundraiser@ccp.org.au.
