DISPLACED: Photographs from Italy, Japan, NZ, UK

10 July 2008

PRESS RELEASE

DISPLACED: Photographs from Italy, Japan, New Zealand and the UK

DISPLACED, an exhibition of photographs by Francis and Ester Reid, runs in the Tindall Room at the Lake House Arts Centre Takapuna from Sunday 3 August to Saturday 30 August.

The two amateur photographers from the North Shore are exhibiting 26 of their photographs, most of which were taken during their travels in Italy and the United Kingdom over the past two years.

Francis and Ester met while studying at the University of Cambridge, and some of their photographs reflect their insiders’ perspective on the town and its surrounding area.

Francis grew up in Northcote and attended Westlake Boys High School, where he was Head Boy in 1998. The following year he won the Girdlers’ Scholarship to Corpus Christi College, Cambridge. Before then Francis had not travelled much outside New Zealand, and many of the photographs in this exhibition represent the wide-eyed wonder that he still experiences when he encounters new places and cultures.

After graduating top of his year in the History and Philosophy of Science in 2002, Francis went on to write a PhD on the history of science and technology in New Zealand, which he completed last year. He is currently working as a strategy analyst for Fonterra.

Ester is originally from Italy but she moved to Japan as a small child and lived in Tokyo for 16 years. After leaving school she studied History at the University of Cambridge. She has been living in Auckland since January of this year. Ester has worked in education marketing and publishing and is currently an at home mum and freelance proofreader. She has always enjoyed drawing, painting and taking photos.

Several of the photos in DISPLACED were taken during a two week period Francis and Ester spent in Tuscany where Francis took Italian and singing lessons. Instead of the Renaissance churches and olive groves you might expect, their images focus on fleeting details: seagulls by the river in Pisa, graffiti in Lucca, a surfer walking up an empty beach in winter.

Francis explains why they decided to exhibit their photographs: “When we were staying in Viareggio, on the Tuscan coast, we would go for walks along the seafront with our camera every afternoon and evening. We really liked some of the photos we took during these walks, and that started us thinking about other photographs we had taken during the course of the year. We thought it would be fun to display all of our favourite photos together.”

Ester adds: “As we were choosing the photographs to exhibit, several themes emerged linking the images: travel, exploration, identity and belonging (or not belonging).”

ENDS

Details of opening times and three photographs from the exhibition can be seen at the Lake House Arts Centre website: www.lakehousearts.org.nz/exhibitions.html

© Scoop Media