* please note, a locked gate prevents access to Johns Landing outside of these times
There are a number of themes that are central to Kim Guthrie’s greater body of work. The predominant subject matter is quintessentially Australian, and it reveals the ways in which Australian myths are deeply ingrained and yet constantly changing, signifying the cultural diversity that we, as a country, continue to experience. His work transcends mere documentary photography and presents the 'everyday' within a high-art context.
Scattered throughout the site that was once Johns Landing camping ground, Guthrie’s River’s Edge photographic series has been reproduced on vinyl tarps, echoing the material of makeshift shelters that many of the site’s longer-term residents called home. The images document the residents and their surroundings just prior to the closure of the site in 2017.This exhibition brings them back to the place that was their refuge, their community and their home.
Please note, there are no public amenities at this site. Ground is uneven and suitable footwear should be worn. The site is unsuitable for wheelchair access. Arrangements can be made for a drive-through the site in your own car in dry weather. To arrange this call 07 5329 6145.
Often the best writing about art is simple and easy to understand – something that’s not always synonymous with ‘art-speak’ and the language encountered in art galleries and exhibition reviews. Community Critics sees a range of people from different backgrounds write responses to Floating Land projects, describing and interpreting them through their own lens.
COMMUNITY CRITIC: Tessa McLennan (Trauma Counsellor)
Kim Guthrie
River’s Edge / Haunt
The images of this installation evoke a mixture of feelings, and elicit layers of reflections, which feel inevitable when viewing such a powerful work as this one by Kim Guthrie.
Johns Landing is a beautiful piece of land with immense and imposing trees, by the river’s edge, and it feels like such a generous gesture of the Johns to have shared this place with the residents. It feels as though the abundance of nature may have offered the necessary support in the assembling and stability for residents’ homes. The land feels remote and isolated yet peaceful, which may have offered a place for residents to retreat and/or escape to. However, the personal experience of those residing on the land remains unknown.
One of our foundational requirements in life is to have a safe and stable home. This fundamental issue is accentuated through Kim’s work. The images captured of residents and some of their possessions feels very intimate, deeply personal and vulnerable, and one can only imagine that deep respect and care was taken throughout the process. The documentation of this moment in this community inevitably raises the awareness of the continued issue of affordable housing. It brings a sense of visibility to not only the human element, but also to this often-hidden issue.
The scale of the confronting and insightful images, integrated within the environment, evokes feelings of temporariness. There’s something deeply potent about the images being installed back on the very land where the residents once lived, mixed with the visible remnants of time passed.
EVENT
WALK & TALK
Johns Landing, Cooroibah
Sat 1 and Sat 15 July, 11am
Join Kim Guthrie for a walk through the site on Saturday 1 July at 11.00am or Saturday 15July at 11.00am and hear about his approach to documenting this significant time in the lives of the residents of Johns Landing.
If this project raises any issues for you, you can callLifeline on 13 11 14 or visit lifeline.org.au
For information and a referral service fo people who are experiencing homelessness or are at risk of homelessness, contact Homeless Hotline on 1800 474 753
