Iggy Pop / MARK 5:28 - Art & About Sydney and the Story of the Photo

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Iggy Pop / MARK 5:28 - Art & About Sydney and the Story of the Photo

MARK 5:28

It might pass for a Caravaggio painting redolent of his trademark chiaroscuro technique, but my photo of proto-punk icon Iggy Pop was taken at the Sydney Opera House in April 2019 as he performed The Stooges’ 1969 song No Fun surrounded by fans responding to Iggy’s command to “get up here and dance with me”; demonstrating the wholehearted welcome Aussies give overseas artists who travel long distances to reach Australia. Its biblical mien heralds the arrival of Easter just four days away; a fan’s desperate lunge to touch Iggy resembling the biblical scene depicted in Mark 5:25-34 especially line 28 which eventually became the photo’s title “Mark 5:28”.

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On The Corners

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On The Corners

What's interesting about a street photograph is that it carries a moment from the past into the present. We're looking at a time capsule of the way things were. Here I am in Sydney with two fellow photographers Simone Cheung and Simon Ross capturing that time capsule of Sydney life in the Autumn of 2018.

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Cascade Road Meme

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Cascade Road Meme

The neighbours in Cascade Road, Norfolk Island objected to the choice of colour for the roof of a new house to be built in their street. The construction went ahead with the coloured roof and on completion the owners placed a sign on their front fence proudly announcing their new roof.

This is a photo essay of what followed...

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Emma Swift at the Newtown Social Club

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Emma Swift at the Newtown Social Club

Returning from overseas, Emma Swift supported Robyn Hitchcock and introduced their new 7" single at the Newtown Social Club on Sunday 11th December 2016 shocking us with electric guitar, a bright orange wide-leg jump suit and a new song. What a delightful night! 

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Street Shoot Chinatown, Sydney

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Born to Run Show Final Night

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Captain Cook Hotel, Paddington. Sunday Night, 3rd July 2016.

Frida Kahlo Day

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Sydney streets after a visit to the Art Gallery to see the Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera exhibition with Sue.

Darling Harbour Live

Inside look at Sydney's new Convention, Exhibition and Theatre spaces currently under construction.

My Lucky Third Eye

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What follows is a copy of my Facebook post in The Photographer’s Corner Collective on 9th January 2016 regarding Michael Armstong's book.

Jonathan, I brewed the coffee, placed Beethoven on the turntable and in the quiet of this morning studied your Dad's book “My Lucky Third Eye”. 

Loved every minute of it!

Some highlights that stood out for me:

  • Find fascinating juxtapositions. I think Michael is too humble when he says: 'What a large part chance plays in photography'. I think he knew when a scene needed that something special and he waited for it and he innately knew where to stand and when to press the shutter. He employed a lot of patience. And revisited a scene many times until the light was right.

  • Tell a story, e.g. Town Hall steps (How often have I walk past those steps thinking "There's a photo there somewhere.") the Train station girl, the Boy meets Girl, the separated couple at the picnic table.

  • Be poetic and spiritual - Dante's Inferno, his use of fog

  • Reference the masters of painting from the Dutch Masters, Rembrandt to Turner

  • Photograph an Icon differently, or, how not to just produce that postcard photo everyone else does.

  • "If you want to get lucky...it pays to be ready." Your Dad describes waiting to buy a coffee and in that time still has his camera ready to see and take a great photo!

  • He likes the wide angle lens and does not manufacture a photo that was not there but is very conscious of forming an image to suit the mood in post e.g. the boy in the boat and the people dragging branches on the beach.

  • Find the fun moments. The leg is pure Matt Stuart and then the tag! The yawning Masai? How ordinary for him but special for us?

  • Finally, I could very much relate to Michael's reason for taking photos: "I feel compelled to".

Wonderful book and great set of photographs Jonathan. Very entertaining looking through the book and inspiring as well.

Thanks again to you and your Mum.