Saturday 13 December 2014

Redland Art Gallery Programme 2015

I'm delighted to hear from Robyn Foster, co-ordinator of the "Personal Histories International Artist Book Exhibition" (which includes my book 'A Garden' and is to be shown at Redland Art Gallery, Cleveland, Queensland, Australia, in the Spring of 2015), that the Redland Art Gallery has asked to use one of my photographs from the book on the cover of their programme of events for 2015. Much appreciated, and very happy they wish to make use of it.













Art Lacuna Artist/Handmade Book Fair 2014

Last weekend I took part in an Artist Book Fair at Art Lacuna Gallery, (which is just to the north of Clapham Junction, SW London).  It was stimulating and inspiring to see the work of my fellow contributors, and I'm very grateful also for the interest shown in my work. Also really good to see a new gallery/studio space flourishing nearby, especially in such economically restrained times.





















Monday 29 September 2014

Personal Histories, International Artist Book Exhibition



I'm very happy that my handmade book, A Garden, is to be part of the Personal Histories International Artist Book Exhibition, coordinated by Robyn Foster. The initial exhibition is in two parts, the first this October at Redland Museum, Cleveland, Queensland, Australia, 12 October-30 November. The second part, which will include my book, will be at Redland Art Gallery 29th March-10 May 2015. A selection of works, including 'A Garden', will be part of a touring exhibition, in Canberra Sept 2015 and hopefully other venues to be confirmed.

There's more, including lists of participants, here.
http://personalhistoriesartistbooks.weebly.com/-redland-art-gallery.html
This website a really great way to get a sense of the exhibition as sadly I won't be able to make the journey to see it all in person! I'm sorry about this as the other exhibits look to be a fantastic, eclectic and interesting mix of artists books.

This is a re-worked, first final copy of my book - the two I made previously now exist in my drawer as proof copies. When it came down to it, I couldn't resist a further edit, which I feel much happier with! I have changed the sequence of the photos slightly, taken out one or two, and added one or two I had previously on the 'maybe' list. I have taken out some of the text. There wasn't very much anyway, but now there is even less. Better to let the photographs speak entirely for themselves. I have also finalised the accompanying protective book box. I will soon have two exhibition copies of the book (currently the one that's going to Australlia is the only one in existence!), and I plan to make another, small edition in 2015.

I'm very grateful to Robyn Foster for all the hard work involved in putting this exhibition together. And so pleased that this story of my mother's Suffolk garden should be seen in the land she also called 'home'.


Some snaps of my book:








Sunday 4 May 2014

How do we continue to photograph our growing children ...






How do we continue to photograph and document our growing children? We change, they change, our relationship changes. Then sometimes, somehow, the parallel paths meet again and something good comes out of it. My younger son has been wearing glasses pretty continuously for the past three years, although he is only mildly short-sighted. The past year be has worn a fashionable, but predominant pair. Now, suddenly and ferociously, he is tired of them and is exploring contact lenses (perhaps just for weekends) and he asked for a portrait of himself to celebrate the lack of glasses. I would have gladly broken my glasses in two if I had had the choice, at the age of 15. I also, I remember, had a fashionable but predominant pair that I grew to hate, but had no choice to go for lenses until I was older so I know how he feels.

It was fun. We agreed we'd missed doing photos together. We made plans to do lots more, when  my new studio gets sorted.  He knows what he wants, as a person-being-photographed; he was confident, and assertive, co-operative and creative. (Are you reading this Callum?).

The first is my favourite, the second is one of a few he chose for his facebook page from which I am now politely, but firmly excluded. (Of course. Because things change).










Callum © Cate McRae 2014
















Callum © Cate McRae 2014
















All Images © Cate McRae

Monday 28 April 2014

Author Photograph, Virginia Bergin





Author photograph for Virginia Bergin, with MacMillan.  I was asked to supply a black and white version also. Although I have a huge emotional (and practical) investment in black and white film as a dedicated 'filmy', I'm feeling more happy about creating the digital version, though it's taken a while. There's no doubt of the necessity of doing so, in some circumstances. And there's no doubt I use everything I know and have ever learnt about film and darkroom work in the process! I'm not about to give up using film; it's a question of what works best for different outcomes.

Virginia's first Young Adult novel, The Rain (H2O in the  U.S.) will be published in July by MacMillan Children's Books; it's to be published in the UK, US, Germany, France and Turkey. Congratulations and good luck to Virginia, for The Rain, and also its sequel which she is currently working on to deadline!












Virginia Bergin, author photo © Cate McRae 2014














Virginia Bergin, author photo © Cate McRae 2014















All Images © Cate McRae