Artist seeks roots in Maniototo landscapes

Click to enlarge
Towards Mt Ida

Click to enlarge
Portrait - Tony Bridge

Media Release

Monday 06 November 2007

For Immediate Release

Artist seeks roots in Maniototo landscapes

This summer’s Rural Art Deco Artist in Residence is photographer Tony Bridge. Maniototo born and Canterbury raised Bridge has returned to his ‘roots’ to photograph the region for an exhibition to coincide with the Ranfurly Rural Art Deco Festival February 22-25 2007.

Rural Art Deco Maniototo Inc. Deputy Chair, Edna McAtamney invited Bridge, who was re-visiting the region earlier this year, to consider the residency sponsored by the Society with the assistance of the Central Otago District Council. ‘We wanted a photographer this year to give an intimacy to visitors on the Rail Trail of the wider Maniototo area” said McAtamney. After returning from a recent expedition in South Africa co-tutoring the renowned Freeman Patterson Photographic Workshops, Bridge decided he had something to say about the area. ‘’I want to enter into a dialogue with the landscape that reflects aspects of this stunning region that are special to me and engage the public in its uniqueness,” said Bridge.

Bridge is living in the apartment above the Centennial Art Deco Gallery until the exhibition closes at the end of March next year and will produce between 8 and 12 large format landscape images for the mid-February opening. “While living in Ranfurly he will also undertake a workshop for local Maniototo photographers and school visits to talk about photography, art and landscape,” says McAtamney.

A professional photographer, Fellow of the NZ Photographic Society, Kodak NZ Professional Mentor, former Specialist Advisor to the NZQA Photo Access Programme, and art teacher; Bridge has a depth of experience to match his passion for New Zealand landscapes. His imagery can be seen in print in a recent Montana Award nominated book on New Zealand films and film locations, - ‘White Cloud Silver Screen’ co-produced with Waitakere Mayor, Bob Harvey. Bridge is currently working solo on a second book about his life’s work.

“As I was born in Ranfurly this residency has a dual purpose I suppose” says Bridge; “it is almost an exploration of my roots, my whenua – a rebirth of myself in a way.”

Tony’s Bridge’s imagery can be viewed online on his website: www.thistonybridge.com

ENDS

© Scoop Media